Please do not proceed with this ordinance. It will NOT effectively prohibit firearms in county facilities and in public parks. What it will accomplish is preventing only law-abiding gun owners from carrying firearms in these locations. Others will not care about the penalty nor respect the firearm ban.
Do not vote to restrict my ability to lawfully carry a firearm to protect my family while on county land or in county facilities. This area is becoming progressively more dangerous; we have seen an uptick in gun violence. This ordinance will do nothing to prevent such incidents. The person who fired off 40 rounds with a fully automatic weapon near Elliewood Avenue will not obey this ordinance.
Also, please add an exemption for any person having a valid concealed handgun permit. This is a common-sense exemption to add in addition to the existing exemptions in the ordinance as proposed to mitigate the impact to county citizens by providing a legal path to safely carry a weapon.
This ordinance will rightly prohibit firearms where they don't belong: where governments conduct their business, where voters exercise their citizenship, where families and kids congregate for a fun time. Twelve other localities in Virginia, including Charlottesville, have enacted ordinances, covering over 2.5 million Virginians. An Albemarle ordinance will also address loopholes in application of the law locally concerning jointly-owned facilities and facilities outside a locality's boundaries. Permits aren't required to openly carry a firearm in Virginia, which does nothing to enhance public safety. This ordinance will protect our neighbors, tourists and law enforcement from senseless, preventable gun violence.
Please do not proceed with this ordinance. It will NOT effectively prohibit firearms in county facilities and in public parks. What it will accomplish is preventing only law-abiding gun owners from carrying firearms in these locations. Others will not care about the penalty nor respect the firearm ban.
Do not vote to restrict my ability to lawfully carry a firearm to protect my family while on county land or in county facilities. This area is becoming progressively more dangerous; we have seen an uptick in gun violence. This ordinance will do nothing to prevent such incidents. The person who fired off 40 rounds with a fully automatic weapon near Elliewood Avenue will not obey this ordinance.
Also, please add an exemption for any person having a valid concealed handgun permit. This is a common-sense exemption to add in addition to the existing exemptions in the ordinance as proposed to mitigate the impact to county citizens by providing a legal path to safely carry a weapon.
This ordinance will rightly prohibit firearms where they don't belong: where governments conduct their business, where voters exercise their citizenship, where families and kids congregate for a fun time. Twelve other localities in Virginia, including Charlottesville, have enacted ordinances, covering over 2.5 million Virginians. An Albemarle ordinance will also address loopholes in application of the law locally concerning jointly-owned facilities and facilities outside a locality's boundaries. Permits aren't required to openly carry a firearm in Virginia, which does nothing to enhance public safety. This ordinance will protect our neighbors, tourists and law enforcement from senseless, preventable gun violence.