Pen chief’s weapon of choice
Gun permit authority ‘arbitrary,’ necessary
Clive McFarlane
[email protected]
T&G STAFF
It did not seem such a big deal to me — Worcester Police Chief Gary J. Gemme suspending and then revoking the gun permit of a Shrewsbury man charged with punching his wife during a domestic dispute.
It was a big deal to the Shrewsbury man, whose assault and battery charges were dismissed, but which still weighed heavily on the chief’s decision to revoke his permit.
It was a big deal to Chief Gemme, who takes seriously his responsibility to decide who should have and carry firearms, and his quest to reduce domestic violence in the community.
Among other things, a year-old policy instituted by Chief Gemme determines a person’s suitability for a gun permit by considering the individual’s history with substance abuse and domestic violence. Under the policy, applicants are required to explain why they are buying a firearm.
“Under the law, the police chief may consider the evidence underlying a criminal charge,” Chief Gemme said.
“Even if the governor pardons the offender, I can still look at the underlying evidence and suspend or revoke a license.”
It was also a big deal to James Wallace, executive director of the Northboro-based Gun Owners’ Action League, who believes the state has given local police chiefs too much discretion in providing gun permits and limiting their use.
“They don’t have to answer to anybody,” Mr. Wallace said of police chiefs. “Their decisions in issuing and restricting licenses are totally arbitrary and abusive, and the abuse is getting worse.”
Yet, I didn’t fully appreciate the significance of this little gun permit drama until I opened the paper yesterday and read the story on the Dudley man who had some 30 weapons, including two machine guns, a silencer and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher in his possession.
The man was arraigned on two counts of possession of a machine gun, one count of possession of a silencer and two counts of improper storage of firearms.
No charges were mentioned relative to his grenade launcher, so I assumed it was covered by his firearms identification card.
One state official estimated that there are some 260,000 gun permits issued in Massachusetts, which basically boils down to about 1.5 percent of all people over 18 in the state having a gun permit.
I don’t know how many of these people carry 30-plus weapons, machine guns and grenade launchers, but we do know that the “police do not know how many guns are in the state or where they are,” according to state officials.
We also know that the lack of specific registration data makes it more difficult for police to trace guns used in crimes, identify illegal gun traffickers or hold gun owners accountable for their weapons.
There also is no automated state system to identify and disarm felons who bought guns legally but later commit a crime or otherwise become ineligible to possess their firearms.
And there are no state restrictions on gun trafficking, such as a limit on the number of handguns that can be bought at one time. Gun traffickers can easily buy large quantities of handguns at gun stores and resell them on the street to criminals.
This then is the reality Chief Gemme is trying to change with the best weapon he has, his signature.
“To put my signature on a gun permit, giving someone a license to carry a weapon, is a tremendous responsibility, and I have to take it seriously,” he said.
If the Dudley man with his cache of weapons had requested a gun permit in Worcester, for example, he would have been told that the only allowed purposes for his weapons would be: Sporting and target practice at shooting and target clubs or facilities; hunting (license for a large-capacity rifle and a shotgun); and personal protection, in which case the applicant must specify the reason he fears harm to himself or his property.
I don’t know the game this gentleman hunts, or the threats against his life and property, so perhaps the machine guns might not be overkill.
But a rocket-propelled grenade launcher?
Yes, the chief’s gun licensing stance might raise some red flags for gun owners, but I am relieved that he is at least insisting on some accountability.
I mean, should something happen here to temporarily disable law and order, as Hurricane Katrina did in New Orleans, wouldn’t it be comforting to know that all these people with their guns, ammunition and grenade launchers were law abiding?
Contact Clive McFarlane by e-mail at [email protected].
Gun permit authority ‘arbitrary,’ necessary
Clive McFarlane
[email protected]
T&G STAFF
It did not seem such a big deal to me — Worcester Police Chief Gary J. Gemme suspending and then revoking the gun permit of a Shrewsbury man charged with punching his wife during a domestic dispute.
It was a big deal to the Shrewsbury man, whose assault and battery charges were dismissed, but which still weighed heavily on the chief’s decision to revoke his permit.
It was a big deal to Chief Gemme, who takes seriously his responsibility to decide who should have and carry firearms, and his quest to reduce domestic violence in the community.
Among other things, a year-old policy instituted by Chief Gemme determines a person’s suitability for a gun permit by considering the individual’s history with substance abuse and domestic violence. Under the policy, applicants are required to explain why they are buying a firearm.
“Under the law, the police chief may consider the evidence underlying a criminal charge,” Chief Gemme said.
“Even if the governor pardons the offender, I can still look at the underlying evidence and suspend or revoke a license.”
It was also a big deal to James Wallace, executive director of the Northboro-based Gun Owners’ Action League, who believes the state has given local police chiefs too much discretion in providing gun permits and limiting their use.
“They don’t have to answer to anybody,” Mr. Wallace said of police chiefs. “Their decisions in issuing and restricting licenses are totally arbitrary and abusive, and the abuse is getting worse.”
Yet, I didn’t fully appreciate the significance of this little gun permit drama until I opened the paper yesterday and read the story on the Dudley man who had some 30 weapons, including two machine guns, a silencer and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher in his possession.
The man was arraigned on two counts of possession of a machine gun, one count of possession of a silencer and two counts of improper storage of firearms.
No charges were mentioned relative to his grenade launcher, so I assumed it was covered by his firearms identification card.
One state official estimated that there are some 260,000 gun permits issued in Massachusetts, which basically boils down to about 1.5 percent of all people over 18 in the state having a gun permit.
I don’t know how many of these people carry 30-plus weapons, machine guns and grenade launchers, but we do know that the “police do not know how many guns are in the state or where they are,” according to state officials.
We also know that the lack of specific registration data makes it more difficult for police to trace guns used in crimes, identify illegal gun traffickers or hold gun owners accountable for their weapons.
There also is no automated state system to identify and disarm felons who bought guns legally but later commit a crime or otherwise become ineligible to possess their firearms.
And there are no state restrictions on gun trafficking, such as a limit on the number of handguns that can be bought at one time. Gun traffickers can easily buy large quantities of handguns at gun stores and resell them on the street to criminals.
This then is the reality Chief Gemme is trying to change with the best weapon he has, his signature.
“To put my signature on a gun permit, giving someone a license to carry a weapon, is a tremendous responsibility, and I have to take it seriously,” he said.
If the Dudley man with his cache of weapons had requested a gun permit in Worcester, for example, he would have been told that the only allowed purposes for his weapons would be: Sporting and target practice at shooting and target clubs or facilities; hunting (license for a large-capacity rifle and a shotgun); and personal protection, in which case the applicant must specify the reason he fears harm to himself or his property.
I don’t know the game this gentleman hunts, or the threats against his life and property, so perhaps the machine guns might not be overkill.
But a rocket-propelled grenade launcher?
Yes, the chief’s gun licensing stance might raise some red flags for gun owners, but I am relieved that he is at least insisting on some accountability.
I mean, should something happen here to temporarily disable law and order, as Hurricane Katrina did in New Orleans, wouldn’t it be comforting to know that all these people with their guns, ammunition and grenade launchers were law abiding?
Contact Clive McFarlane by e-mail at [email protected].
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
Just joking. We all know what his response to that would be; just dial 911 (and call time-out until the police get around to your problem). ![[rolleyes]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/042.gif "Roll Eyes [rolleyes]")
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
