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| South Portland police officers Robert Scarpelli, left, and Jesse Peasley show the firearms turned in for destruction this past weekend after the department circulated a press release reminding the public of its program. Police Chief Edward Googins is also in support of reviewing Maine's open carry laws. |
SOUTH PORTLAND — In the wake of the Sandy
Hook Elementary shootings in Newtown, Conn., and a subsequent scare in Portland
days later when a young man was seen casually carrying a weapon along the Back
Cove Trail, the South Portland Police Department is taking steps to promote gun
safety.
Late last week, the
department circulated a press release reminding residents of its ongoing
firearm disposal service. When contacted by residents who find unwanted,
forgotten, unsafe or potentially illegal firearms in their homes, the
department will accept and ensure the safe disposal of these items. The
courtesy service includes ammunition and explosive ordinance.
“Since this is not an
investigative effort, no questions are asked,” said the department's spokesman,
Lt. Frank Clark. “The hope is that this will increase the likelihood of
residents turning over such firearms, reducing their access by untrained or
inappropriate persons, and potentially preventing their use in a tragic
situation.
On Monday, Clark said five
weapons, including three rifles and two handguns, as well as a box of gun
parts, were turned in over the weekend.
“Because this is a
no-questions-asked kind of thing, we really don’t know why any of these
particular items were turned over,” said Clark.
The weapons will be stored
in the police department evidence room. Following longstanding policy, once
enough firearms are on hand, the collection will be taken to a foundry out of
state that specializes in recycling the metal parts into manhole covers, said
Clark.
In addition to collecting
firearms that are voluntarily surrendered, South Portland Police Chief Ed
Googins says he also is supporting a drive to end Maine’s status as an
“open-carry” state.
Maine is one of 35 states
in which it is permissible to carry a firearm in public without a license or
permit. It is only for the purposes of carrying a concealed weapon that permit
is required.
However, stemming from a
Christmas Eve incident in Portland in which a man raised alarm by legally
walking around with a rifle, area police chiefs have decided to push for a
change, setting up a Jan. 22 meeting. Googins said he will be at that meeting
and supports the initiative.
“I support looking at the
laws around open carry,” he said on Tuesday. “I think it’s time for us to
reevaluate whether or not allowing people to carry handguns in public areas is
something we should continue to do.
“After all, we live in an
urban area,” said Googins. “We don’t allow hunting here. So, what good reason
is there for someone to walk down the street carrying a rifle? It only causes
panic.”
“We are a gun-owning state,
I’m well aware of that, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be reasonable,” said
Googins, a member of the nonprofit Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence, who
urges parents to ask about firearms before allowing their children to visit
their friends.
Scarborough Police Chief
Robert Moulton and Cape Elizabeth Police Chief Neil Williams could not be
reached for comment before deadline. However, Scarborough police spokesman Sgt.
Rick Rouse said his department also offers to take in and dispose of firearms.
“We don’t really advertise
it, but our evidence technician, Ron Nelson, will take them in,” said Rouse.
“If people are uncomfortable with even transporting the item they can even call
for pick up. We certainly don’t want anyone to get injured handling something
they may be unfamiliar with.”
Capt. Brent Sinclair of the
Cape Elizabeth Police Department says his force also will take in unwanted
firearms.
“We’ve been doing that for
as long as I’ve been here,” he said.
In Cape’s case, Sinclair
said, it’s best to turn them in between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. when there is a clerk
in the station. Once enough firearms are on hand, they are taken to the highway
department and converted to scrap metal, said Sinclair.
All three departments also
offer free trigger locks, although Googins said his supply “is getting pretty
low.”
“Firearm safety is an issue
everywhere,” said Googins. “The biggest issue for me is making sure that people
use and store weapons safely. It’s not about taking people’s firearms away.
It’s about them being prudent and cautious.”
“We don’t gauge this by how
many guns we get in,” said Clark. “Our biggest thing in promoting this recently
is that now people are talking about firearm safety in their own homes,
thinking about whether a weapon is loaded or not, and who has access to it or
not. Given that, then I think this is a success.”
A CLOSER LOOK
To turn over a firearm, contact the South Portland Police Department Community Response Team at 799-5511, ext. 7236.
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