hinds community college — located in western mississippi , with a student population of 11,000 — had one too .
campus police departments have used several years ago for training exercises , according to richard beary , the university ’s chief of police .
” but the university ’s police force is n’t the only one to have come upon a grenade launcher .
along with the grenade launcher , central florida acquired 23 m-16 assault rifles should the campus police at the university of central florida ever need a grenade launcher , one sits waiting in the department ’s armory .
at least 117 colleges have acquired equipment from the department through a federal program , known as the 1033 program , that transfers military surplus to law - enforcement agencies across the country , according to records the chronicle received after filing freedom of information requests with state governments ( see table of equipment ) .
at central florida , which has an enrollment of nearly 60,000 and a division i football team , the device was acquired , a police spokeswoman said , for “ security and crowd control .
campus police departments have used the program to obtain military equipment as mundane as men ’s trousers ( yale university ) and as serious as a mine - resistant , ambush - protected vehicle ( ohio state university ) .
both institutions received their launchers from the same source : the department of defense .
repurposed to fire tear - gas canisters , the weapon was used several years ago for training exercises , according to richard beary , the university ’s chief of police .