Greenleaf law may promote guns
The Idaho Press-Tribune
Public safety: Councilman sponsors proposal requesting that most residents keep, maintain personal firearms
By Michael McAuliffe
Idaho Press-Tribune
GREENLEAF — Nearly every home in Greenleaf would be asked to keep and maintain a firearm under a proposed ordinance being considered by the City Council.
Ordinance 208, sponsored by Councilman Steven Jett, is known as the Civil Emergencies Ordinance.
In addition to a recommendation that certain heads of households own guns, it authorizes planning for a city emergency operations center, authorizes development of an emergency operations plan, authorizes the promotion and support of citizen emergency response teams and neighborhood watch groups, and authorizes promotion of firearms safety and training for residents.
Jett said the primary purpose of the ordinance was to support county emergency operations planning, but realized the firearms provision would be what would make the headlines.
Greenleaf Mayor Bradley Holton said he supports the spirit of the ordinance, and pointed out that the proposal is not a mandate because it encourages gun ownership, but does not require it — as a similar law has done in the town of Kennesaw, Ga. since the early 1980s.
With that exception, Jett said the proposed Greenleaf ordinance was modeled after the Kennesaw measure. Jett said he received help crafting the draft ordinance from the Wilder Police Department, which provides law enforcement services to Greenleaf.
Jett added that recently approved state legislation removing restrictions from the lawful use of firearms in emergencies and Idahos adoption of the Castle Doctrine helped pave the way for his proposal. The Castle Doctrine provides immunity from civil liability for people who use justifiable force to defend themselves.
And while Jett says Greenleaf — with an estimated population of less than 900 people — doesnt have an especially high crime rate, future growth requires preparation.
The county is growing, the city is growing and the area around it is growing, Jett said. Unfortunately, police services will not grow as fast as the area will.
Residents have a right to defend themselves from criminals, Jett said.
Greenleaf is trying to maintain a nice standard of living, and we dont want to become a target, he added.
Canyon County Chief Deputy Sheriff Gary Deulen said he had not previously heard of Jetts proposed ordinance, but did not see anything inherently wrong with the gun ownership provision.
As long as you are not a prohibited person from owning a firearm, in the United States of America, its your right, Deulen said.
People exempt from the Greenleaf proposal include:
- People who suffer from mental or physical disabilities that would prohibit them from using or purchasing a firearm.
- Heads of households who are paupers or conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of religious doctrine.
- Convicted felons.
- Anyone prohibited from maintaining firearms by law or judicial decree.
Holton said the draft ordinance may need some alterations, but called the proposal workable.
The ordinance is scheduled to come before the City Council for a second reading next month.
It will be interesting to see how the process proceeds, Holton said.
What proposal says
The firearms provision of Greenleafs ordinance reads:
In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, it is recommended that every head of household residing in the city limits maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore, and obtain appropriate training relating to proper, safe and lawful handling of firearms.
Training for residents would be funded through the city budget process or may otherwise paid for through earmarked franchise fees.
Second reading Oct. 3
A second reading for the proposed firearms ordinance is scheduled to take place at the city councils next regular meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Greenleaf City Hall.
Idaho goes for guns
As a state, Idaho has some of the least-restrictive firearms laws in the country. While the heavily Republican Legislature usually sides with the National Rifle Association on gun-rights issues, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence awarded Idaho a grade of F+ for its laws governing firearms. |
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