COLOMBIA – The Charleston police chief warned South Carolina lawmakers that a proposal to allow trained gun owners to openly carry their weapons could endanger public security and make police work more difficult.
Chief Luther Reynolds was one of dozens of Southern Carolinians who testified on February 10 in opposition to the bill, joining several doctors and gun owners who identified themselves, who said they feared the project could lead to more violence and anxiety on the streets.
Opponents outnumbered the six supporters who testified in favor of the measure, saying they believe that the training aspect will ensure responsible weapon handling and noting that South Carolina is one of only five states that does not have any form of open law in the United States. books .
After public testimony, the House Judiciary subcommittee voted in favor of the bill without any further discussion, as all three Republicans on the panel approved it and the only Democrat disapproved.
The measure is expected to have a full hearing of the committee in the next two weeks, and Republican leaders in the House hope to send it to the Senate in early March.
Like several other opponents of the bill, Reynolds said he had had firearms most of his life and supported Second Amendment rights. But he said he believed the open transport bill would create “a greater potential for disagreements to become violent”.
Reynolds noted that Charleston and several other cities across the country saw an increase in protests over the past year and the presence of counter-protesters has occasionally led to physical confrontations.
“Increasing the open range of revolvers increases the potential for loss of life and serious personal injury,” said Reynolds. “It also makes it more difficult for law enforcement when large numbers of individuals openly carry firearms.”
The head of the State Law Enforcement Division, Mark Keel, agreed with Reynolds’ concerns, telling the Post and the Courier that he believes it would aggravate already dangerous situations.
“As if we don’t already have enough problems with people with guns, that just presents one more problem,” said Keel.
State Representative Bobby Cox, the Republican from Greenville who is leading the effort to approve the bill, said he understands why law enforcement officials are concerned, but believes that these concerns are overcome by citizens’ interest in protecting their right to carry guns.
“I understand where they are coming from, in terms of their mission, but I also, as a legislator, have to pass laws that allow people to exercise their constitutional rights,” said Cox.
In demanding that gun owners be trained first to openly charge, Cox said he believed they would know how to act responsibly. Cox said he also supports providing more funding and training for police officers to adapt.
Keel said these guarantees did not ease his concerns.
“We are always happy to receive all the training we can, but I don’t know what additional training we could receive that would help us deal with people carrying weapons openly on our streets every day,” said Keel.
The views of law enforcement officials tend to have a significant influence on the state of South Carolina. Keel’s opposition to the legalization of medical marijuana has long been cited as one of the main impediments by lawmakers on both sides of the corridor who support this measure.
Other people who testified during the hearing, which lasted about an hour and a half, included several pediatricians who treat gunshot wounds and said they believed the project would lead to more of them.
“This body must work to implement evidence-based solutions to reduce the incidence of these injuries and deaths,” said Annie Andrews, a pediatrician from Charleston. “But, unfortunately, the project being considered today will not protect our children and is, in fact, a threat to public security.”
Face-to-face speakers included some supporters of the project, including Mark Roote, who said he moved to the state of Pennsylvania in 2015, where he went openly without problems.
“The only people who had a negative reaction to my open transport were the police, because they didn’t like me having to depend on them,” said Roote. “There is nothing to fear about open transport.”
The move does not go as far as some of the most fervent advocates for arms rights wish. Tommy Dimsdale, the legislative director of Palmetto Gun Rights, said he believed lawmakers should pass a “constitutional-sized” bill to allow everyone to carry weapons openly, regardless of whether or not they have a license.
Follow Jamie Lovegrove on Twitter @jslovegrove.