Mayor and Police Chief Working Together To Work On The Issue
By Police Chief John P. Weiss, City of Scotts Valley and Dene Bustichi, Mayor, City of Scotts Valley
Chief John P. Weiss
The Scotts Valley Police Department recently proposed an ordinance to address gun shop security and safety in our town. The increase in local gun shops prompted us to examine this issue.
While gun shops are highly regulated by Federal and State law, there are
no requirements for alarm systems and video cameras. The current gun shops in town are professionally run (all have alarm systems and cameras) but we want to insure that they remain that way. Rather than reinvent the wheel, police staff researched neighboring jurisdictions and proposed an ordinance similar to others in other jurisdictions.
Unfortunately, the ease in following other regulations led to a somewhat hasty staff report that lacked adequate analysis. Gun shop owners and council members had valid concerns about certain provisions of the ordinance and several council members felt there were too many unanswered questions. It became obvious to police staff that more work was needed for the city council to make an informed decision.
The police department’s main objective is to insure that gun shops are properly alarmed and equipped with camera systems (an invaluable resource for theft investigations.) The police department is designing a burglary and robbery protocol so local dealers know how to respond to such incidents. A modified ordinance will be brought back to the City Council and the City will explore a reasonable permit process for firearms dealers.
The City of Scotts Valley prides itself on our commitment to public safety. We consistently have a low crime rate, vigilant police department and excellent programs like DARE and our Junior Police Academy. To that end, we will work together to insure local gun shops are safe, secure, and well protected by our police staff.
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Mayor Dene Bustichi
At last week’s city council meeting, the issue of existing and future retail gun shops was discussed. After listening to many comments on the subject, the City Council decided to defer action on a proposed ordinance and study the matter further. The consensus among the council was that the police department should do more inquiries on this matter and that, as written, the ordinance would have exempted the current gun shops from any proposed changes.
The priority of this council is and always has been public safety. We reserve nearly 50% of our operating budget to achieve that goal. We also strive to craft a balanced approach to any matter that comes before us. To that end, I have asked staff (in coordination with the police department) to put two items on our agenda for the September 2nd meeting.
A revised ordinance from our police department which fully addresses the security and safety of gun shops in our community.
A 90-day emergency moratorium of any new gun retailers, to allow the City Council to consider creating a conditional use permit process for any applicant who is considering opening up a retail gun shop.
Throughout this process, the City Council and the police department have been and will continue to be proactive in dealing with this issue. Public comments and dialogue are always welcome in implementing measured and thoughtful policies that are best for our city.