Montgomery mayor signs ordinance to try to limit state’s permitless gun carry law
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed has signed an ordinance to require anyone carrying a concealed gun in the city to also carry a photo ID.
According to the ordinance, police can confiscate a concealed gun if the gun holder doesn’t have a photo ID. The gun holder would have to pay a fine and provides proof of purchase within 30 days in order to get the gun back.
Reed said the Alabama Legislature’s 2023 decision to drop permit requirements for concealed guns has hurt the ability of law enforcement officers to fight crime and seize illegal guns.
The ordinance drew immediate outrage from state Republican Party officials who support the state’s permitless carry law.
A spokesperson for Attorney General Steve Marshall called the ordinance illegal, but did not say whether Marshall planned to file a lawsuit.
When the state lawmakers debated permitless carry, many in law enforcement, especially those in the state’s largest cities already struggling with crime, said that it would worsen public safety.
“The permitless carry bill took away an important way for law enforcement officers to take illegal handguns,” Reed said during Friday’s bill signing ceremony. He added, “What we hope this will do is maybe give us a little bit of movement back to being able to take some of those (illegal) guns.”
Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys and local city council members joined Reed to express support for the ordinance and echo frustration about the impact of permitless carry.
But Friday’s signing drew swift condemnation from the state attorney general’s office.
“The Montgomery City Council’s ordinance related to firearms violates state law,” William Califf, a spokesperson for the attorney general, said in a statement. “The Code of Alabama plainly states that the Legislature is the sole regulator of firearms and related matters.”
Montgomery is not the only Alabama municipality where local law enforcement wants to see restrictions on the statewide permitless carry bill.
Mobile Sheriff Paul Burch describes himself as a “very firm supporter of the Second Amendment,” but said that “something has to be done” about the effects of the state legislation.
Burch said his department has seen a noticeable uptick in violent crime among young people that he attributes to the bill.
Reed said that he would try to work with state legislators on both sides of the political aisle to continue to find ways to empower law enforcement and promote public safety. But he said it hasn’t felt like his administration has received “proactive support” from the state since the bill was passed.
“The whole city is forced to pick up the pieces, the city is forced to try to scramble to figure out how support our residents,” Reed said.
(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
