need more towns like this

[rosebud99]

Town Lets Employees Bring Guns To Work
Some Residents Concerned About Liability

POSTED: 4:59 pm EDT June 29, 2010
UPDATED: 6:24 pm EDT June 29, 2010
NOTTINGHAM, N.H. -- If you're a town employee in Nottingham, you can now bring your gun to work.

Town selectmen voted on the new policy last week, but it's still the subject of intense debate.

No other town in Rockingham County allows employees to carry guns at work, but Nottingham town leaders said it's a matter of constitutional rights.

"You don't want the employees to feel like second-class citizens," said Town Manager Charles Brown. "All regular citizens can do that, if permitted, so why shouldn't an employee be able to do that?"

The old policy prohibited town employees, except police officers, from bringing firearms into town buildings or properties during working hours. The new policy bans weapons on town property unless they're legally permitted. It will allow employees to carry weapons in places where other residents could.

Some residents said they're concerned about liability issues.

"Now, I'm not against the Second Amendment for people to carry them," said resident Gail Mills. "I just think that there's some places where this isn't appropriate."

Brown said he doesn't think liability will be an issue, but he's still talking with the town's insurers. Mills said she's also worried about safety.

"We have summer programs, the rec. department is there, and having people with guns in the building with kids, I don't think that that's a good thing to have happen," she said.

But Brown said he doesn't believe the more restrictive policy provided greater protection.

"If somebody, whether it's an employee or a citizen, decides they want to do harm to somebody, they're going to do it," he said. "They don't care what was written in a policy."

Despite the new policy, Brown said he really doesn't expect anything to change.

"Nobody's come into work packing," he said.

A board of selectmen meeting is scheduled for July 6, and some residents said they plan to voice concerns about the policy.

[Kythas]

"We have summer programs, the rec. department is there, and having people with guns in the building with kids, I don't think that that's a good thing to have happen," she said.

I'm so sick of the "It's for the children!" excuse. Like a gun is going to jump out of its holster all on its own and open fire, or a person carrying a gun is going to suddenly wig out, just because kids are around.

News flash: If someone wanted to hurt the kids, they would do so no matter what any policy says is allowed and not allowed.

[MadMonkey]

I'm so sick of the "It's for the children!" excuse.

We should probably go ahead and ban arms and hands to keep people from shaking babies...

[ELB]

Good for Nottingham!

[Smokey613]

This is my take on this issue. We will see the day when we are prohibited from our 2A rights by the insurance companies, not by our legislators. Think about it... I feel we will see a more proactive attempt by the insurance carriers to have exclusions on our homeowners and/or auto policies that essentially make it prohibitive to use your CCW for self defense. JMHO ....

[aaangel]

Mills said she's also worried about safety.
"We have summer programs, the rec. department is there, and having people with guns in the building with kids, I don't think that that's a good thing to have happen," she said.

If my kids go there for summer programs, i feel better knowing some good law abiding chler can stop a BG if he/she/it decides to shoot up the place. Gail Mills feels much better for her kids to go to a "GUN FREE ZONE" summer programs. good luck!

[bdickens]

"Now, I'm not against the Second Amendment for people to carry them," said resident Gail Mills. "I just think that there's some places where this isn't appropriate."

Brown said he doesn't think liability will be an issue, but he's still talking with the town's insurers. Mills said she's also worried about safety.

"We have summer programs, the rec. department is there, and having people with guns in the building with kids, I don't think that that's a good thing to have happen," she said.

Sometimes it's the kids themselves who need the gun:

Harris County deputy's son shoots one of two intruders
15-year-old and sister, 12, were alone when pair entered, so he got dad's rifle
By MIKE GLENN
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
June 30, 2010, 10:27AM



The teenage son of a Harris County deputy constable opened fire with his father's automatic rifle Tuesday after burglars forced their way into the family's home, authorities said.

The boy, 15, and his sister, 12, were alone about 2:30 p.m. when they heard glass breaking downstairs at the home in the 2600 block of Royal Place Court in northwest Harris County.

The boy went downstairs with the rifle and spotted an adult man and a male juvenile in the living room.

He fired several shots and struck one of the intruders, said Lt. Jeff Stauber with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

"He was concerned with protecting his younger sister — that's exactly what he did,“ Stauber said.

The man - who has not been identified - was struck several times by gunfire.

Sheriff's investigators were tipped off when the suspected burglars quickly showed up at Methodist Willowbrook Hospital.

"Anytime you get a gunshot victim in the hospital, they're going to notify law enforcement," Stauber said.

The adult was taken by Life Flight helicopter to Memorial Hermann-The Texas Medical Center in unknown condition.

Deputies brought the juvenile back to the brick home at the end of a cul-de-sac for additional questioning.

Sheriff's deputies said the burglars came into the house after breaking out a window in the living room area.

"They left the same way they came in - through the broken window," Stauber said.

'A little shaken up'
Family members at the scene declined to comment about the incident.

"The main thing is that the kids are OK. They're a little shaken up," said a man who identified himself as the deputy constable's brother.

Neighbors said several homes in the area also have been broken into during the daylight hours.

"There have been a lot of robberies. It's good that they caught them," said Ushantha Kawmini, whose home down the street was burglarized about a month ago.

Break-in concerns
Another neighbor was concerned that the burglars would be brazen enough to break into a home belonging to a law enforcement officer.

"Now they're doing it to the police officers. What about regular people?" said the neighbor.

She identified herself only as Mary because she feared retaliation from other burglars.

"I'm sure they (the suspects) have got friends," the neighbor said.

The two have been charged with burglary of a habitation, officials said.

mike.glenn@chron.com

[rm9792]

"Automatic rifle"?????

[aaangel]

^^^^^ his father is a LEO. as far as i know they are allowed to purchase "automatic rifles". off course, I (non-LEO) will turn into a savage beast if i have "automatic rifles"!

[RPB]

can2boy I agree, I would prefer someone in charge who can protect my kids.

Gail Mills. "I just think that there's some places where this isn't appropriate...... "We have summer programs, the rec. department is there, and having people with guns in the building with kids, I don't think that that's a good thing to have happen," she said.

Sounds like that person prefers to allow adults to defend themselves and others, but leave areas where kids are as "target rich zones" so that the slower, weaker ones on the playground areas get genetically "weeded out" of the gene pool since no adult supervisor there can protect them? She should Google "school shootings" or "mass shootings" Sick reasoning or very misinformed person.