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Lawmen expect little change on the street
By AMANDA BOHMAN, Staff Writer
Police chiefs In Kenai, Wasilla, Fairbanks and North Pole expressed no concern about the likely lifting of the nationwide ban on certain military-style firearms, while the Anchorage police chief predicted deadlier weapons will now find their way into more criminals' hands.
The ban, called the Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, is set to expire Monday after congressional leaders declared no plans to renew it.
The law prohibits the sale and manufacture of ammunition clips of more than 10 rounds and weapons with more than one military-style feature. Such features include flash suppressors, which help conceal a gunman shooting at night; protruding pistol grips, which help a shooter stabilize the firearm during rapid fire; and barrel shrouds, which cool the barrel so a weapon can fire many rounds without overheating. Military and police use of such weapons are not prohibited.
Supporters of gun control want the law renewed saying the restraints on manufacturing certain types of weapons amounts to fewer of the weapons on the streets, which safeguards the public and police officers.
Gun-control opponents say there's no proof the law has affected the decline in gun-related violence. They say the law is useless and should be allowed to die.
North Pole Police Chief Paul Lindhag said criminals possess the banned weapons anyway.
"If they're going to go out and commit murder or rob someone, do you think they're going to worry about a weapons violation?" he said.
Kenai Police Chief Chuck Kopp added that the history of violent assault in Alaska shows no weapon is preferred over another.
"If someone is going to harm somebody, the weapon of choice is whatever is available at the time," he said.
Wasilla Police Chief Don Savage said the ban doesn't change the overall number of weapons on the streets.
"Alaskans are well armed anyway, whether they have assault weapons or not," he said.
Fairbanks Police Director Paul Harris said "outlaws have always had outlaw weapons."
"We're outgunned," he added. "That's the nature of the business."
The opinions of the chiefs differ from those of Anchorage Police Chief Walt Monegan and professional organizations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
About a dozen law enforcement organizations support the ban, according to the Web site for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a prominent gun-control group.
The reason is that high firepower has the ability to penetrate body armor, according to the Web site. In addition, limiting civilian access to such weapons lessens the need for law enforcement to carry assault weapons themselves in order to match the firepower capability that criminals with assault weapons would have, the Web site said.
Monegan supports renewal of the ban saying he doesn't want to make it easier for criminals to obtain deadlier weapons.
"If we make more weapons available," Monegan said, "then we also increase the chances that those types of weapons will make their way onto the streets ... Some of the banned weapons, drug dealers would love to have them because they are toys to them."
Kopp, of Kenai, said the International Association of Chiefs of Police has a history of favoring attitudes of big-city police chiefs over police chiefs overall.
"It's heavily influenced by New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles," he said. "This is another situation where IACP does not represent the stance of the majority of law enforcement agencies."
The National Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Federation of Police and Concerned Citizens both support dropping the ban, said Dennis Wise, a Florida sheriff's deputy who is spokesman for the former and president of the latter.
"Every law-abiding citizen should own any weapons that he chooses," Wise said.
Col. Julia Grimes, director of the Alaska State Troopers, declined to comment on the lifting of the assault weapons ban, saying in a voice mail message that the issue is a federal issue.
"It's not something that's going to be an issue here in Alaska," she said.
Reporter Amanda Bohman can be reached at [email protected] or 459-7544.
Lawmen expect little change on the street
By AMANDA BOHMAN, Staff Writer
Police chiefs In Kenai, Wasilla, Fairbanks and North Pole expressed no concern about the likely lifting of the nationwide ban on certain military-style firearms, while the Anchorage police chief predicted deadlier weapons will now find their way into more criminals' hands.
The ban, called the Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, is set to expire Monday after congressional leaders declared no plans to renew it.
The law prohibits the sale and manufacture of ammunition clips of more than 10 rounds and weapons with more than one military-style feature. Such features include flash suppressors, which help conceal a gunman shooting at night; protruding pistol grips, which help a shooter stabilize the firearm during rapid fire; and barrel shrouds, which cool the barrel so a weapon can fire many rounds without overheating. Military and police use of such weapons are not prohibited.
Supporters of gun control want the law renewed saying the restraints on manufacturing certain types of weapons amounts to fewer of the weapons on the streets, which safeguards the public and police officers.
Gun-control opponents say there's no proof the law has affected the decline in gun-related violence. They say the law is useless and should be allowed to die.
North Pole Police Chief Paul Lindhag said criminals possess the banned weapons anyway.
"If they're going to go out and commit murder or rob someone, do you think they're going to worry about a weapons violation?" he said.
Kenai Police Chief Chuck Kopp added that the history of violent assault in Alaska shows no weapon is preferred over another.
"If someone is going to harm somebody, the weapon of choice is whatever is available at the time," he said.
Wasilla Police Chief Don Savage said the ban doesn't change the overall number of weapons on the streets.
"Alaskans are well armed anyway, whether they have assault weapons or not," he said.
Fairbanks Police Director Paul Harris said "outlaws have always had outlaw weapons."
"We're outgunned," he added. "That's the nature of the business."
The opinions of the chiefs differ from those of Anchorage Police Chief Walt Monegan and professional organizations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
About a dozen law enforcement organizations support the ban, according to the Web site for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a prominent gun-control group.
The reason is that high firepower has the ability to penetrate body armor, according to the Web site. In addition, limiting civilian access to such weapons lessens the need for law enforcement to carry assault weapons themselves in order to match the firepower capability that criminals with assault weapons would have, the Web site said.
Monegan supports renewal of the ban saying he doesn't want to make it easier for criminals to obtain deadlier weapons.
"If we make more weapons available," Monegan said, "then we also increase the chances that those types of weapons will make their way onto the streets ... Some of the banned weapons, drug dealers would love to have them because they are toys to them."
Kopp, of Kenai, said the International Association of Chiefs of Police has a history of favoring attitudes of big-city police chiefs over police chiefs overall.
"It's heavily influenced by New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles," he said. "This is another situation where IACP does not represent the stance of the majority of law enforcement agencies."
The National Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Federation of Police and Concerned Citizens both support dropping the ban, said Dennis Wise, a Florida sheriff's deputy who is spokesman for the former and president of the latter.
"Every law-abiding citizen should own any weapons that he chooses," Wise said.
Col. Julia Grimes, director of the Alaska State Troopers, declined to comment on the lifting of the assault weapons ban, saying in a voice mail message that the issue is a federal issue.
"It's not something that's going to be an issue here in Alaska," she said.
Reporter Amanda Bohman can be reached at [email protected] or 459-7544.
