Gun Bill Gets Mixed Reviews from Carroll County Law Enforcement Officials

Police leadership in Carroll County weighed in on a gun bill passed by Maryland senators Thursday evening. 

Col. Phil Kasten of the Carroll County Sheriff's Department said that he expects if the bill becomes law that it will be challenged in the courts. 

"The constitutionality of the legislation is at question," Kasten said. "I anticipate if the bills are passed, that their legality will likely be challenged."

The bill bans more than 40 types of guns and prohibits persons who are involuntarily committed from owning a gun.

Also included in the bill is a controversial requirement for all future purchasers of regulated firearms to be fingerprinted and licensed. 

The bill also prohibits the possession of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

Westminster Police Chief Jeffrey Spaulding said that something needs to be done to address the level of firearm violence in the state. 

According to Spaulding, so far this year, Maryland has seen 101 criminal homicides as of April 2, a 25 percent increase over the same period last year. He said 65 percent of those cases involved firearms. 

"This level of violence is unacceptable and demands immediate action in a coordinated effort between law enforcement, our elected officials and the public health community," Spaulding said.

Spaulding said there are several key elements in the gun bill that he believes "will serve to reduce gun violence and help to make our communities safer." 

Spaulding said that the bill includes mechanisms to ensure individuals with potentially dangerous mental health issues are denied legal access to firearms. Additionally he pointed out that the legislation requires mandatory background checks to include fingerprinting and safety training. 

"As someone who has been required to carry a firearm for more tha 35 years, these requirements seem both reasonable and appropriate," Spaulding said. 

The bill also affords enhanced penalties for those who commit crimes using weapons with high capacity magazines -- "a common sense sanction," Spaulding said.  

Kasten said that existing laws are adequate, they just need to be enforced. 

"The unfortunate thing about this flurry of legislation at the state and federal levels is that it will do little if nothing to address the situations that occured at Sandy Hook Elementary and out in Colorado," Kasten said. "What is needed is a better understanding and better sense of individuals with mental illness and impairments."  

Sheriff Kenneth Tregoning posted his position on the sheriff's department website saying, "I oppose any law or regulation that infringes or restricts a citizen’s right to bear arms under the Second Amendment."

In the statement, Tregoning said he agrees with the "common sense points of discussion which identify the real issues associated with gun control that do not infringe on a citizen’s right to bear arms under the Second Amendment." 

"While no one law will 'fix' every perceived gap in our current firearms regulatory scheme, I believe that the elements [of the legislation] will serve to make our communities safer," Chief Spaulding said. 

Chief Spaulding said his comments represent his personal views and not those of the police department or city of Westminster. 

Related Articles:

• Maryland's History of Gun Control
• Maryland House Passes Gun Control Bill
• Maryland Senate Passes Gun Control Bill
• Fear of Gun Control Drives Gun Sales Sky High in Maryland
• Weigh in: Should Westminster Require Residents to Own Guns?

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