We take you now to our nation’s capitol for the latest development in the ongoing saga of the roadblocks municipal officials have thrown up to prevent law abiding residents from legally owning handguns. In our last report, AI members learned that the city council had pulled a proposal to have the city enter the FFL business because of promises from the Mayor’s office to help find a location for a private FFL business. Now, with Alan Gura & Co. suing the city – again – over the de facto handgun ban, the city has proposed a solution…
If you’ll remember, Charles Sykes hasn’t been able to find a new location for his FFL business because the city had created zoning regulations that basically excluded all commercial space from firearms-related businesses. And since there are no gun retailers in the city, residents have been unable to legally transfer handguns purchased elsewhere into the city.
The city’s fix? Locate Sykes’ FFL business at MPD headquarters.
The city will permit Sykes to use space at the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, Mayor Vincent Gray said Wednesday. He’ll be allowed to set up shop in the tight security offices where guns are registered.
“It seemed to make sense to us to locate close to MPD’s firearms registration office at police headquarters on Indiana Avenue, where anyone purchasing a firearm must come anyway to register their guns,” Gray said.
Sykes hasn’t accepted the offer yet.
Only about 1,200 people have sought to keep guns in their homes legally since the Supreme Court ruling.
“I’m not sure what the demand should be,” Gray said. “For me, one is too many, but that’s my own personal view on this.”
Thanks for your thoughts, Mr. Mayor. Given all the roadblocks the city has actively put up in the way of legal gun ownership in the District, it’s impressive that “only” 1,200 have already made it through the process.
I’m thrilled that the crime infested wasteland we call the DISTRICT OF COMMIES isn’t a state.
What DC really needs is for congress to act and say “this is how it’s going to be”. DC is really only allowed self-rule at the federal government’s pleasure anyway. Perhaps after 2012. Hopefully at that point something could be done to break up the K-12 education cartel in DC too.
In the meantime, offering the space in MPD HQ to Sykes for only $100 a month is a positive development. The hoops DC residents have to jump through are still ridiculous, but at least this is a little closer to one-stop shopping.
I am a law abiding senior citizen, a retired attorney, licensed to carry without restrictions in 32 states, passed every background check known to mankind, and I wouldn’t buy a firearm in a police station if the gun was free and came with ammo for life. OBTW, in most jurisdictions, it’s illegal for a citizen to carry in a police station. This proposed setup in D.C. sounds like a setup.
I was thinking the same thing. Someone’s going to walk out and get 5 years in jail on some technicality just so DC can send a message. “It might be legal, but we’ll make you miserable.”
Folks are required by DC ordinance to bring their guns to the Metro PD for ballistics testing and registration even before Sykes was leased space there.
-Gene
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