Few things outside of the Seminary Road diet can rile the public comment portion of an Alexandria City Council meeting like proposed gun control legislation.
At a City Council meeting on Tuesday, the Council unanimously approved moving forward with a sweeping ban on firearms on or near city property — including parks — or on streets near permitted events.
According to the city ordinance:
The poession, carrying or transportation of firearms in any building, or part thereof, owned or used by the City or by any authority or local government entite created or controlled by the City for government purposes or in parks owned or operated by the City, or by any authority or local government entity created or controlled by the City in any recreational or community center facility operated by the locality, or by any authority or local government entity created or controlled by the City and in any public street, road, alley, or sidewalk or public right-of-way or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public and is being used by or is adjacent to a permitted event or an event that would otherwise require a permit, is prohibited.
Exceptions are made in the legislation to military personnel acting within the scope of their official duties, law enforcement officers, private security personnel hired by the City and historical reenactors or other persons who possess a firearm that is inoperative and not loaded with ammunition, provided the reenactor is participating in or travelling to or from a historical reenactment.
Anyone violating the law would be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanour.
The ordinance was unanimously approved at the City Council meeting and is scheduled for a public hearing and final passage on Saturday, June 20. If approved, the ordinance will go into effect on July 1.
The ban had been previously approved but the City Council has since gotten the legislative approval necessary to implement it.
After the issue received some attention from the NRA website, many of the speakers were staunchly positioned against the ordinance. One speaker, Mark Shinn, said the ordinance was part of the “liberal anti-gun agenda” that Alexandria will turn into the “violent, gang-infested warzones of Chicago and Baltimore.”
Some said the ordinance would make it effectively impossible for legal gun owners to travel through the city, with parks and streets near permitted events swept up in the ban.
“This creates an undue legal burden on gun owners as it’s virtually impossible to know or identify all buildings or parts thereof owned or used by the city or any authority or controlled by the city for government purposes,” said Michael MacKay. “As you can see, this maze of constantly shifting obstacles jeopardizes all legal gun owners’ ability to possess, carry or transport firearms without unknowingly committing a Class 1 misdemeanour.”
Speaker Timothy Angers requested that the city make an exception for those with concealed carry permits, arguing that they have been properly vetted and trained.
“[Othewise] the city becomes a minefield for permit holders,” Angers said. “Just cutting through a pocket park or going near an event could land a permit-holder in jail for a year.”
The ordinance did have some defenders in the public hearing, though. Local resident Sarah Bagley argued the ordinance protects local areas the same way federal government offices are protected.
“[The ordinance] is an effort by our Council to prohibit possession, carrying and transportation of firearms in city buildings and parks,” Bagley said. “Whatever is good enough to protect our President and the Senate is good enough for our schools and public spaces.”
Staff photo by James Cullum
Recent Stories
It could’ve been curtains for all those free prom dresses this year at Alexandria City High School. With the high school’s annual shindig scheduled for May 18, it was a…
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria! ⛈️ Today’s weather: Showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm, with patchy fog clearing by 9am. Mostly cloudy, high near 80, with a calm easterly wind around…
Staff raises and market rate adjustments are a few of the proposed highlights after Alexandria City Public Schools got the green light last week by City Council to add $273.03…
(Updated 3:50 p.m.) The results of the Healthy Home Network survey last fall found that the biggest concern for most residents in Alexandria is pests. The survey was run by…
Finding a gift for moms can be difficult. Google “Mother’s Day gifts,” and you’ll scroll through endless lists of beauty products, candles and fuzzy robes. Sure, those are sweet, but sometimes it’s fun to surprise loved ones with something a little more, well, practical!
Here’s one idea: Give her a gift certificate for a home cleaning from Well-Paid Maids. It’s the perfect “thank you,” “I love you” or “you’ve got this” for any mom. She can schedule the home cleaning at her convenience and breathe easy knowing she has one less thing to do.
Our cleaners will take care of everything, including vacuuming and mopping as well as cleaning and dusting countertops, tables, mirrors, appliances and more. Sinks, toilets, showers and appliance exteriors also get a good scrub.
Plus, when you buy a gift certificate from Well-Paid Maids, you’re supporting a living-wage cleaning company. That means cleaners get paid a starting wage of $24 an hour and get access to benefits, like 24 days of PTO and health insurance.
Good news, D.C. area. You can save money on your next home cleaning with Well-Paid Maids. It’s easy!
We offer a discount when you set up recurring cleans — and the discounts just increased this week!
For weekly cleans, get $30 off each cleaning.
Alexandria NAACP, Shiloh Baptist Church, DPC to hold City Council…
The Alexandria Branch of the NAACP, Shiloh Baptist Church, and The Departmental Progressive Club to hold the City Council Candidate Forum for ALL Candidates in the City of Alexandria Virginia. The event is Free of Charge and Open to The
