I support the proposed firearms ordinance. I grew up in a place where firearms were strictly controlled, a policy which I credit with having a death rate from firearms being one tenth that of USA. I would have felt uncomfortable in my job if people had walked in with firearms so I expect county employees would feel more comfortable and thus more productive if they knew that the people they serve did not come to them bearing arms. If someone did misuse a firearm on county property, I expect the cost to the county, and thus taxpayers like myself, would be significant.
Comments of persons "uncomfortable" with the appearance of firearms beg the question how uncomfortable would they be when a cirminal or demented person, who by definition does not obey any law or rule and knows that there is no law-abiding citizen to counter them, confronts them.
I write to urge the Board to support the Firearms Ordinance. ( 21-356). I am an Albemarle County resident and I frequently visit and utilize the County parks and facilities which are impacted by this ordinance, as does my six year old son. I will feel significantly safer, and I will feel that my child is safer, utilizing the parks and the facilities impacted by this ordinance if Firearms are restricted to use only by certain law enforcement professionals on these premises. I can see no benefit to individuals who are not law enforcement being entitled to have firearms on County property. In fact, I was surprised to learn that this ordinance does not already exist! I hope the Board of Supervisors will approve this ordinance. It is in the interest of keeping the community safer.
I strongly oppose item 21-356 Proposed Firearms Ordinance. The ordinance is draconian and places an unfair burden on individuals that have chosen a firearm for protection.
A potential compromise is to exempt citizens with a concealed handgun permit, allowing them to carry in parks.
As I read through the comments on this thread, I see many people who don't want firearms in public buildings or parks. I understand that. There are mentions of that infamous Unite the Right rally that brought in people to cause chaos. No one ever wants to see a repeat of that sad day.
I do wonder if the general public realizes that banning firearms at "parks" and county property includes miles and miles or remote trails on county property? There are beautiful natural areas spread out through our county, Walnut Creek, Preddy Creek, PABF Preserve, to name a few. These areas are remote.
As members of the same community, we need to be willing to realize that different people have different needs. A woman who has PTSD from being raped has a need to feel safe and secure. She has the right in our state, to follow the proper procedure, obtain a concealed carry permit (which has to be renewed and payed for), and protect herself. Firearm Ordinance 21-356 would take her protection and right.
I strongly recommend a vote of no in opposition to this ordinance.
Implementing this ordinance directly reduces the ability of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves while and where it would otherwise be legal to do so. It is moral grandstanding perceived to provide safety to citizens, but the reality is that immoral people do not follow laws. This will make no impact on reducing criminality. However, it will increase the likelihood that criminals will use these "safe spaces" as poaching zones.
This also impacts visitors that use and enjoy the public and recreational facilities, and as a result, choose to spend their hard-earned dollars in and around those facilities.
At the very least, consider altering or amending the proposed ordinance to exempt the law-abiding possessors of concealed carry permits (CHP).
Should the BOS choose to pass this, as visitors, my family and I will no longer choose to spend any time or funds in the county!
Why would you deny a woman who has a restraining order the ability to protect herself against a violent stalker on the properties listed, say a county office building?
Why would you deny a military mother with a deployed husband the right to protect herself and her children against a drug dealer, other criminal, or predator in any of the properties listed in the proposed ordinance?
Why would you deny honest citizens the God-given, recognized right to self-defense on any of the properties listed in the proposed ordinance?
What specific incidents or shootings on county properties are the justification for this ordinance?
How many criminals, drug dealers, and convicted felons illegally possessing a firearm have signed up to declare their suppor of, and adherence to, this ordinance?
Please consider these questions seriously, and vote "NO" on Ordinance 21-10 /Agenda item 21-356.
I urge the board to vote "no" on this measure. An argument for controlling weapons in a few public buildings or urban parks does not justify an expansive ban covering hundreds of square miles of rural county parks and trails. There is no data supporting this overreach.
As a ninth generation Albemarle County resident, I urge you to vote YES on this ordinance. In the shadow of mass shootings and individual gun violence that we live in, even seeing people carrying weapons is intimidating, especially to children. Some here purport that good gun owners can protect themselves and others, but as we see from examples such as Arvada, CO, you cannot tell simply by looking at someone if they're a 'good guy' or 'bad guy.' Law-abiding gun owners will abide by the ordinance, making any perpetrators easier to identify. I know personally that the proliferation of guns creates more opportunity for deadly violence to occur as my brother was murdered in Albemarle County in 2017. He allowed guns in his home and they were used to kill him; his gun did not protect him, but his acceptance of their presence resulted in his death. Please help keep our public spaces free from gun violence and intimidation by keeping firearms out of them.
We all saw at Unite the Right how extremists exploit lax gun laws to intimidate the public and elected officials. As a County resident for 11 years, I fully support the proposed ordinance and urge you to vote yes.
I am OPPOSED to the Proposed Firearms Ordinance. This ordinance not only restricts firearms but also carrying ammunition and any firearm component. Cities such as Chicago that have legislated themselves as "gun free" are prime examples that gun legislation does NOT solve gun violence issues. All it does is create defenseless victims. Criminals do not adhere to gun legislation.
I urge board members to vote "yes" on Proposed Ordinance 21-256 to ban firearms from all county buildings. This would include the county office at the south end of 5th Street, an early voting site otherwise exempt from a new state law banning guns at polling places. There is no legitimate need for citizens, whatever their intent, to carry guns into county buildings. There is however, ample evidence that gun violence is epidemic. We have had far too many examples of killings in public places, such as the municipal complex in Virginia Beach. I am aware that the pressure to vote "no" will be formidable. Please do the right thing and vote "yes" as a necessary step to protect Albemarle County residents.
I urge you to vote “no.” There’s no justification to infringe on a constitutional right here. There’s no gun violence problem on county property or in our parks. If this ordinance passes, we’ll likely see more violent crime in our parks. You can’t screen all parkgoers for guns, so the law abiding who carry firearms for self-defense will comply; those with malign intent will ignore the law. These are places where the most physically vulnerable use remote, wooded trails. They can no longer be armed, but a would-be attacker won’t care about the law. I’ve heard the argument that this infringement on everyone’s rights is necessary because white supremacists carried firearms legally on county property during the Aug ‘17 riots. Infringing on the rights of all citizens because of the actions of a few fringe fanatics amplifies their narrative about tyrannical government. Our laws don’t distinguish between the majority who are law abiding and those few who flout the law.
I strongly support the proposed firearms ordinance that would ban firearms from all County buildings. I see no rational reason for anyone to bring a firearm into a County building other than to intimidate others. Any concerns with personal security in a particular building can be addressed by adding security officers if necessary. In addition, the County Office Building at 1600 5th Street is an early voting location, and firearms should be strictly forbidden in polling places so that people can cast their ballots without feeling fearful or intimidated by the presence of someone with a weapon. Our County office buildings, where the people's business is conducted, should be places where everyone feels safe and comfortable.
I support the proposed Ordinance 21-356. In the best interest of community safety, firearms should not be permitted (except for the exceptions as outlined) in public county parks, county recreation facilities, or in public buildings. We need to safeguard those who use the facilities, and we-to include our children- should not be fearful in seeing people armed. Thank you for supporting this ordinance and our safety.
If you pass this proposed gun control ordinance you will not create “gun free zones”. Instead, history shows you will create “defenseless victim zones”. Although you have permission to pass such an ordinance from the Commonwealth of Virginia, you have no mandate from the voters of Albemarle County to do so. If there is a tragedy that could have been stopped by a law abiding citizen with a gun, do you want that weighing on your conscience for the rest of your life? You should think seriously about that before casting your vote. I strongly urge you to vote NO.
Dear Board of Supervisors
As a lifelong resident of Albemarle County, I am horrified and outraged that you are considering this kind of over-the-top firearm control on public property. This so called “solution”, Firearm Ordinance 21-356, is an absolute joke that relies on the misinformed ideology that criminals will obey the laws put in place. This firearm free ordinance is once again just another way the punishes law abiding citizens and creates an open season opportunity for anyone who wishes to commit crimes with a firearm or any other weapon. Don’t try to tell me the police will be there to protect me! How is a police officer going to make any difference on the remote county owned park trails that my family and I use?
Alexandria’s shootings went up 40% and has stayed up beginning the month a similar ordinance took effect.
In closing I want to clearly state Firearm Ordinance 21-356 is a DANGEROUS piece of legislation. I strongly urge you all to vote NO on it!
I write to strongly support passage of the Firearms Ordinance. (21-356). As a Jew who had to be in downtown Charlottesville for an appointment during the Unite the Right rally, I am acutely aware of the fact that the open carry of loaded firearms during any demonstration increases the likelihood that such an event will escalate into a dangerous or deadly situation. The General Assembly passed the local ordinance law in 2020 in response to the deadly Unite the Right attack on Charlottesville, when the city was powerless to disarm violent white supremacists. The organizers wanted to come back the next year to recreate the event, but their permits were denied for the city parks. I don't want our county parks to be used as staging grounds for the next white-supremacist/antisemitic rally.
I encourage our Board of Supervisors to join the other 12 Virginia localities, including Charlottesville, that have passed similar ordinances, protecting over 2.5 million Virginians so far.
I am writing to urge you to support the Firearms Ordinance. ( 21-356). As an Albemarle County resident and mental health practitioner, I saw the severe and drastic impact of armed militia on County property at Court Square in August 2017. The presence of so many firearms at this event made it difficult for police to do their jobs. This kind of armed intimidation has grown in our nation over the past several years, and has no place in public space or public discourse.
This is a solution in search of a problem. Albemarle County has not had any incidents that justify this infringement on the rights of the citizens of the County
Alexandria’s shooting went up 40% beginning the month their ordinance took effect and has stayed up. This ordinance will only embolden those bent on harming others
Only 12 localities out of 194 (six percent) have passed this kind of local gun-control, putting the County out of step with the vast majority of the state and the surrounding counties
Parks have remote areas that police simply cannot cover or secure
Gun-free zones are dangerous, as Virginia Beach found out when they had a massacre in one of their government buildings a couple of years ago
I support the proposed firearms ordinance. I grew up in a place where firearms were strictly controlled, a policy which I credit with having a death rate from firearms being one tenth that of USA. I would have felt uncomfortable in my job if people had walked in with firearms so I expect county employees would feel more comfortable and thus more productive if they knew that the people they serve did not come to them bearing arms. If someone did misuse a firearm on county property, I expect the cost to the county, and thus taxpayers like myself, would be significant.
Comments of persons "uncomfortable" with the appearance of firearms beg the question how uncomfortable would they be when a cirminal or demented person, who by definition does not obey any law or rule and knows that there is no law-abiding citizen to counter them, confronts them.
I write to urge the Board to support the Firearms Ordinance. ( 21-356). I am an Albemarle County resident and I frequently visit and utilize the County parks and facilities which are impacted by this ordinance, as does my six year old son. I will feel significantly safer, and I will feel that my child is safer, utilizing the parks and the facilities impacted by this ordinance if Firearms are restricted to use only by certain law enforcement professionals on these premises. I can see no benefit to individuals who are not law enforcement being entitled to have firearms on County property. In fact, I was surprised to learn that this ordinance does not already exist! I hope the Board of Supervisors will approve this ordinance. It is in the interest of keeping the community safer.
I strongly oppose item 21-356 Proposed Firearms Ordinance. The ordinance is draconian and places an unfair burden on individuals that have chosen a firearm for protection.
A potential compromise is to exempt citizens with a concealed handgun permit, allowing them to carry in parks.
As I read through the comments on this thread, I see many people who don't want firearms in public buildings or parks. I understand that. There are mentions of that infamous Unite the Right rally that brought in people to cause chaos. No one ever wants to see a repeat of that sad day.
I do wonder if the general public realizes that banning firearms at "parks" and county property includes miles and miles or remote trails on county property? There are beautiful natural areas spread out through our county, Walnut Creek, Preddy Creek, PABF Preserve, to name a few. These areas are remote.
As members of the same community, we need to be willing to realize that different people have different needs. A woman who has PTSD from being raped has a need to feel safe and secure. She has the right in our state, to follow the proper procedure, obtain a concealed carry permit (which has to be renewed and payed for), and protect herself. Firearm Ordinance 21-356 would take her protection and right.
To the Albemarle Board of Supervisors,
I strongly recommend a vote of no in opposition to this ordinance.
Implementing this ordinance directly reduces the ability of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves while and where it would otherwise be legal to do so. It is moral grandstanding perceived to provide safety to citizens, but the reality is that immoral people do not follow laws. This will make no impact on reducing criminality. However, it will increase the likelihood that criminals will use these "safe spaces" as poaching zones.
This also impacts visitors that use and enjoy the public and recreational facilities, and as a result, choose to spend their hard-earned dollars in and around those facilities.
At the very least, consider altering or amending the proposed ordinance to exempt the law-abiding possessors of concealed carry permits (CHP).
Should the BOS choose to pass this, as visitors, my family and I will no longer choose to spend any time or funds in the county!
Dear Chair Gallaway and Supervisors:
I have read proposed Ordinance 21-10.
Why would you deny a woman who has a restraining order the ability to protect herself against a violent stalker on the properties listed, say a county office building?
Why would you deny a military mother with a deployed husband the right to protect herself and her children against a drug dealer, other criminal, or predator in any of the properties listed in the proposed ordinance?
Why would you deny honest citizens the God-given, recognized right to self-defense on any of the properties listed in the proposed ordinance?
What specific incidents or shootings on county properties are the justification for this ordinance?
How many criminals, drug dealers, and convicted felons illegally possessing a firearm have signed up to declare their suppor of, and adherence to, this ordinance?
Please consider these questions seriously, and vote "NO" on Ordinance 21-10 /Agenda item 21-356.
Thank you.
Charles W
I urge the board to vote "no" on this measure. An argument for controlling weapons in a few public buildings or urban parks does not justify an expansive ban covering hundreds of square miles of rural county parks and trails. There is no data supporting this overreach.
As a ninth generation Albemarle County resident, I urge you to vote YES on this ordinance. In the shadow of mass shootings and individual gun violence that we live in, even seeing people carrying weapons is intimidating, especially to children. Some here purport that good gun owners can protect themselves and others, but as we see from examples such as Arvada, CO, you cannot tell simply by looking at someone if they're a 'good guy' or 'bad guy.' Law-abiding gun owners will abide by the ordinance, making any perpetrators easier to identify. I know personally that the proliferation of guns creates more opportunity for deadly violence to occur as my brother was murdered in Albemarle County in 2017. He allowed guns in his home and they were used to kill him; his gun did not protect him, but his acceptance of their presence resulted in his death. Please help keep our public spaces free from gun violence and intimidation by keeping firearms out of them.
We all saw at Unite the Right how extremists exploit lax gun laws to intimidate the public and elected officials. As a County resident for 11 years, I fully support the proposed ordinance and urge you to vote yes.
I am OPPOSED to the Proposed Firearms Ordinance. This ordinance not only restricts firearms but also carrying ammunition and any firearm component. Cities such as Chicago that have legislated themselves as "gun free" are prime examples that gun legislation does NOT solve gun violence issues. All it does is create defenseless victims. Criminals do not adhere to gun legislation.
I urge board members to vote "yes" on Proposed Ordinance 21-256 to ban firearms from all county buildings. This would include the county office at the south end of 5th Street, an early voting site otherwise exempt from a new state law banning guns at polling places. There is no legitimate need for citizens, whatever their intent, to carry guns into county buildings. There is however, ample evidence that gun violence is epidemic. We have had far too many examples of killings in public places, such as the municipal complex in Virginia Beach. I am aware that the pressure to vote "no" will be formidable. Please do the right thing and vote "yes" as a necessary step to protect Albemarle County residents.
I urge you to vote “no.” There’s no justification to infringe on a constitutional right here. There’s no gun violence problem on county property or in our parks. If this ordinance passes, we’ll likely see more violent crime in our parks. You can’t screen all parkgoers for guns, so the law abiding who carry firearms for self-defense will comply; those with malign intent will ignore the law. These are places where the most physically vulnerable use remote, wooded trails. They can no longer be armed, but a would-be attacker won’t care about the law. I’ve heard the argument that this infringement on everyone’s rights is necessary because white supremacists carried firearms legally on county property during the Aug ‘17 riots. Infringing on the rights of all citizens because of the actions of a few fringe fanatics amplifies their narrative about tyrannical government. Our laws don’t distinguish between the majority who are law abiding and those few who flout the law.
I strongly support the proposed firearms ordinance that would ban firearms from all County buildings. I see no rational reason for anyone to bring a firearm into a County building other than to intimidate others. Any concerns with personal security in a particular building can be addressed by adding security officers if necessary. In addition, the County Office Building at 1600 5th Street is an early voting location, and firearms should be strictly forbidden in polling places so that people can cast their ballots without feeling fearful or intimidated by the presence of someone with a weapon. Our County office buildings, where the people's business is conducted, should be places where everyone feels safe and comfortable.
I support the proposed Ordinance 21-356. In the best interest of community safety, firearms should not be permitted (except for the exceptions as outlined) in public county parks, county recreation facilities, or in public buildings. We need to safeguard those who use the facilities, and we-to include our children- should not be fearful in seeing people armed. Thank you for supporting this ordinance and our safety.
If you pass this proposed gun control ordinance you will not create “gun free zones”. Instead, history shows you will create “defenseless victim zones”. Although you have permission to pass such an ordinance from the Commonwealth of Virginia, you have no mandate from the voters of Albemarle County to do so. If there is a tragedy that could have been stopped by a law abiding citizen with a gun, do you want that weighing on your conscience for the rest of your life? You should think seriously about that before casting your vote. I strongly urge you to vote NO.
Dear Board of Supervisors
As a lifelong resident of Albemarle County, I am horrified and outraged that you are considering this kind of over-the-top firearm control on public property. This so called “solution”, Firearm Ordinance 21-356, is an absolute joke that relies on the misinformed ideology that criminals will obey the laws put in place. This firearm free ordinance is once again just another way the punishes law abiding citizens and creates an open season opportunity for anyone who wishes to commit crimes with a firearm or any other weapon. Don’t try to tell me the police will be there to protect me! How is a police officer going to make any difference on the remote county owned park trails that my family and I use?
Alexandria’s shootings went up 40% and has stayed up beginning the month a similar ordinance took effect.
In closing I want to clearly state Firearm Ordinance 21-356 is a DANGEROUS piece of legislation. I strongly urge you all to vote NO on it!
I write to strongly support passage of the Firearms Ordinance. (21-356). As a Jew who had to be in downtown Charlottesville for an appointment during the Unite the Right rally, I am acutely aware of the fact that the open carry of loaded firearms during any demonstration increases the likelihood that such an event will escalate into a dangerous or deadly situation. The General Assembly passed the local ordinance law in 2020 in response to the deadly Unite the Right attack on Charlottesville, when the city was powerless to disarm violent white supremacists. The organizers wanted to come back the next year to recreate the event, but their permits were denied for the city parks. I don't want our county parks to be used as staging grounds for the next white-supremacist/antisemitic rally.
I encourage our Board of Supervisors to join the other 12 Virginia localities, including Charlottesville, that have passed similar ordinances, protecting over 2.5 million Virginians so far.
I am writing to urge you to support the Firearms Ordinance. ( 21-356). As an Albemarle County resident and mental health practitioner, I saw the severe and drastic impact of armed militia on County property at Court Square in August 2017. The presence of so many firearms at this event made it difficult for police to do their jobs. This kind of armed intimidation has grown in our nation over the past several years, and has no place in public space or public discourse.
This is a solution in search of a problem. Albemarle County has not had any incidents that justify this infringement on the rights of the citizens of the County
Alexandria’s shooting went up 40% beginning the month their ordinance took effect and has stayed up. This ordinance will only embolden those bent on harming others
Only 12 localities out of 194 (six percent) have passed this kind of local gun-control, putting the County out of step with the vast majority of the state and the surrounding counties
Parks have remote areas that police simply cannot cover or secure
Gun-free zones are dangerous, as Virginia Beach found out when they had a massacre in one of their government buildings a couple of years ago
Please vote “no” on this ordinance