NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Guns are now banned from Newport News city buildings following a 6-1 vote by Newport News City Council.
The move comes following a security audit from the Department of Homeland Security.
Open carrying was already banned, but Tuesday night's vote expands the ban to include concealed carry.
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“I’m not surprised, because I think that’s where the trend is going," Newport News resident Glenn Woodell said.
While not surprised, Woodell doesn’t agree with City Council’s decision.
He believes this will lead to more guns being left in cars.
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“I think that is just going to create a new market for the bad guys to know that there’s going to be a higher percentage of vehicles with unattended and, probably, unsecured firearms," explained Woodell.
That issue was brought up by people who spoke at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Councilman Cleon Long addressed that.
“Our parking lots are secured and monitored, so the thought that your car is going to be broken into, I think, that’s not of concern," said Long.
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You may be saying, "Wait a minute. What about the Second Amendment?" News 3 asked legal expert Dr. Eric Claville about that Wednesday.
“Based on gun free zone acts from the federal law and given the commonwealth of Virginia’s latitude provided to localities in order to ban guns on public property, more than likely this will be a protected act by, or ordinance by, cities for public safety purposes," Claville said.
At the council meeting, Newport News Mayor Philip Jones said efforts to increase safety won’t stop with the gun ban.
"We're not going to go into every single security detail, but you are going to see metal detectors in a lot of city buildings if this does pass here tonight," said Jones. "With the advice of Homeland Security, we are now living in a different time. A time in which multiple people on this council have received credible death threats.”
The ban will not apply to sworn law enforcement officers, active duty members of the military acting within the scope of their official duty, security guards working for or contracted by the city, and people authorized by the Federal Law Enforcement Safety Act to carry a gun.
