VCDL Update-long guns in vehicles in Fairfax County

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not yet a Virginia Citizens Defense League member? Join VCDL at: https://vcdl.org/join
----------------------------------------------------------------------
VCDL's calendar: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
VA-ALERT archives: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/727/=now
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I would like to thank the ten members who showed up tonight at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting to support VCDL's position against an ordinance that would prohibit loaded long guns in vehicles on public roads.

I testified that based on a document provided to the Board by the Fairfax County Police Department, they should not pass the ban.

The police said two reasons to pass the ban were:

* a demonstration of interest in firearms regulation

* an opportunity to educate residents about firearms safety

I pointed out that neither of those reasons justifies making a new law.

The police had two reasons not to pass the ban, both of which I agreed with:

* no evidence of problems in Fairfax County related to the transportation of loaded shotguns and rifles

* requires officers to manipulate the firearm to determine if the gun is loaded, which could compromise officer safety. I added that it could end up in a situation where an officer inadvertently shoots the guns owner because of a mistake when manipulating the gun

One of our members who is a law-enforcement officer told the Board that officers are not trained on any guns but the ones they carry. So they might not know how to safely handle all the different long guns out there. The Fairfax County PD representative said the officers would be given training on a wide variety of guns if the ordinance passes. Oh, boy - that's going to be a time consuming and expensive proposition, if they do it right. Your tax dollars at work...

For a minute it looked like the proposed ordinance was going to be improved when supervisor Cook proposed an amendment to exempt those carrying long guns for their safety. Supervisor Herrity seconded it. However, the Board voted the amendment down.

Tyranny won out and the final ordinance passed UNANIMOUSLY. It will become effective on January 1, 2019.

NOTE: simply having a long gun in your vehicle does NOT give the police the probable cause to see if it is loaded or not. But that's not a guarantee that they won't do so anyhow.

VCDL is going to address the enabling law for this ordinance at the next General Assembly session, with the intent of making some improvements.


-------------------------------------------
***************************************************************************
VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.

VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]
***************************************************************************

Click to expand...

TheRussianNightmare said:

I thought FOPA already made it illegal to drive around with loaded long guns.

Click to expand...

rbird7282 said:

If you’re not leaving the state, FOPA doesn’t apply.

Click to expand...

swinokur said:

Yup FOPA only applies to INTERSTATE transport, not INTRASTATE transport. State and local law applies

Click to expand...

TheRussianNightmare said:

Oh, got it. Thanks!

That being said, it doesn't seem particularly safe to drive around with loaded long guns. I mean, I just took a hunter safety course, and it was very specific firearms should be transported unloaded.

What is the reasoning behind wanting to transport long guns loaded? Because you can/want to?

Click to expand...

swinokur said:

Self Defense comes to mind.

MD prohibits loaded long guns in a vehicle, including ON a vehicle

Click to expand...

TheRussianNightmare said:

Long gun in the tight quarters of a vehicle for self defense seems like a stretch. Pistol is way more practical IMHO.

Click to expand...

Mr. Ed said:

I imagine it's because some folks might want to be able to have a firearm for self defense ready more quickly if the need arises. Unless someone has a CCW, they're limited to having a long gun in the vehicle. It really doesn't present any danger except to someone who isn't familiar with the particular firearm. Just my $02, of course. I don't, but I appreciate that some other folks might want to do it that way. And pretty much every LEO in a cruiser has at least one loaded long gun in their vehicle.

edit: No, loaded means that ammo in the tube or mag. Chambered is one in the chamber.

Click to expand...

TheRussianNightmare said:

Isn't CCW easy to get in VA?

To me, no ammo in the mag is excessive. The long gun isn't going to chamber AND fire a round on its own.

Click to expand...

iH8DemLibz said:

When the Republicans are in charge of the white house, both houses of congress, and conservatives justices control the SCOTUS, this chipping away of the 2A will come to an end.

Click to expand...

swinokur said:

The mag inserted in the gun, not a loaded mag in the vehicle

Click to expand...

swinokur said:

Huge difference between a need and a right.

Let’s not go down that path

Click to expand...

TheRussianNightmare said:

Edited. That's what I meant. Inserted mag or full tube doesn't seem like a problem to me if the chamber is empty.



Agreed and understood.

Click to expand...