Meeting Notes 101716 - Laserfiche WebLink

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11 Plan for Completing the Committee’s Work The facilitator suggested to the group that any one or two memberson the minority side of any Committee vote be encouraged to submit to the Board of County Commissioners awritten explanation of their position, a“minority report,” so that the Board willhave access to the minority perspective along with the full group’s recommendations. The facilitator asked if there were any issues that any members of the Committee wanted the group to consider for development of non-ordinance recommendations. Ms. Barksdale said that she had sent an email to Deputy Chief Sykes and to John Roberts asking for input on ways to address firearms safety within a property. We have addressed projectiles crossing property boundariesandsafety between neighbors, she said, but we have not addressed safety risks associated with firearms within a property, such as within day care centers and homes. Mr. Roberts has told me that this issue is dealt with through state and federal legislation but I’m still puzzled about it, she said.As a family therapist, I’m also concerned about people who have guns in dangerous domestic situations, she said. I’m concerned about how that risk is being handled. I don’t know that there is anything that we can do about it, but I wanted to bring it to this Committee’s attention. Mr. Hunnell asked if Ms. Barksdale was talking about unlocked guns in the home. Yes, she said, unlocked guns in homes with children and in child day care centers. Deputy Chief Sykes said that laws are already in place to addressthis. Mr. Roberts told me that, she said; he also suggested that this Committee ask the Department of Social Services or the Health Department to develop and distribute educational materials regarding how to handle guns if you have children in the home. I’m concerned that we have in-home day cares in Orange County where unsecured guns may be present, she said. Ms. Barksdale continued: Not long ago some local kids were going to a soccer game in Wake County and stayed overnight at a hotel. The guy in the hotel room next door shot through the wall and killed one of the children in the bed. I don’t know that’s anything we can deal with. Mr. Hunnell said that the draft ordinance under the Committee’s consideration deals with that,by prohibiting firearm dischargeswithout an appropriate backstop and prohibiting discharging carelessly or heedlessly in disregard for the safety of others. If the Commissioners pass this then it would apply, he said. Mr. Roberts said that paragraph (d) would apply in a situation like the one Ms. Barksdale described, but that the draft ordinance only provides for Class III misdemeanor charges; there are state laws that would allow for more serious charges to be applied. Mr. Kirkland recalled that the person in the situation Ms. Barksdale described was a convicted felon in illegal possession of a firearm.