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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Walden weighs firearms law BUY A HOME NOW
By TED REMSNYDER
In a time when the nation has been
traumatized by an epidemic of mass
shootings, the Walden Village Board took
up the timely issue of concealed firearms
in its meeting last Tuesday evening.
At the urging of the Police Benevolent
Association, the board discussed the
federal Law Enforcement Safety Act for
the first time in seven years. Passed by
Congress in the summer of 2004 and
signed by then-President George W.
Bush, the legislation allows for active
and retired police officers to carry concealed firearms on their person throughout America, although the bill does not
supersede the laws of any state (like New
York) that bar gun possession in certain
locations.
In the wake of a string of public killings, Walden is cautiously considering
the idea of letting village officers past
and present qualify for the law. While
no action is imminent on the proposal,
the issue will be discussed further at a
January board meeting after the village
counsel is given more time to investigate
the matter, and Walden Police Chief Jeff
Holmes will be brought in to provide his
perspective. “In today’s climate, I think
the issue of weapons needs to be discussed thoroughly,” Walden Mayor Susan
Rumbold said. “That’s why we brought it
to the next meeting, so we can further the
discussion with the Chief and try to get as
much information as possible before we
make a decision.”
The law, also known as HR-218, has
proponents on both sides of the issue,
with advocates like Trustee Gerald Mishk
noting that retired police officers with
weapons could be utilized to crack down
on mass shootings when active officers
can only get to the scene of a crime so
fast. The village would only allow Walden
police officers to be certified under the
law, which requires cops to recertify once
a year at a shooting range with the weapons they would carry. The village would
only allow the officers to qualify two or
three of their preferred firearms apiece
and not dozens of guns that a given officer
might possess. The law does not apply to
officers whose guns aren’t certified or
to individuals who’ve consumed alcohol
with a weapon in their possession.
The knotty issue brings up a lot of questions, as the Mayor voiced concerns at the
meeting about the village’s increased liability under the concealed weapons law.
During the public comment portion of the
evening, questions were raised about the
possible dangers that could result from
retired officers in their 70’s handling firearms in public and the unintended consequences that could result from introducing more guns into potential shootouts.
“It was something that the P.B.A. wanted
us to revisit, so that’s why we had the
discussion now,” Rumbold said. “The fact
that we have two retired police officers
on the board, it helps to get their input.
But I think it’s something that needs to be
discussed.”
A new initiative will begin in the
Walden Police Department in a matter of
days with the introduction of police body
cameras throughout the force. The cameras, which are meant to provide enhanced
safety for citizens and officers alike by
recording all interactions between the
two groups, have already been purchased
by the village, along with the software
needed to run the program. “We’re hoping that everything will be in line by
mid-December,” Mishk, the Liaison to the
Police Department, said. “The policy is
just being fine-tuned and they have a computer setup for storing it. We just have to
make sure the policy is set and the training is done so the officers know how and
when to use the technology. Every shift
from every officer will use them.”
A public hearing has been set for the
next board meeting on Dec. 15th to discuss the Greenway Grant ]