Nashville Debates Guns In Parks

Metro Council members questioned handgun advocates and law enforcement officers last night about the potential effects of allowing gun permit holders to carry their weapons in city parks.

Many communities, including Nashville, are debating whether to opt our of a new state law that goes into effect September 1, 2009.

During last night’s public hearing Metro Councilman Phil Claiborne asked Captain Richard Foley how many firearms were seized this month in the city’s 113 parks.

FOLEY: “I believe we’ve recovered three weapons.”

CLAIBORNE: “Ok, were all of those weapons permitted?”

FOLEY: “No sir. They were all people without permits.”

The numbers reinforced Councilman Claiborne’s position that Nashville should allow guns in parks because potential problems wouldn’t come from permit holders.

The Metro Legal Department issued an opinion last week that described a ban on guns in parks approved in 1966 and still in effect. While confident in the opinion, legal director Sue Cain told the Council last night it should still vote to opt out just to clarify the law.

The bill to do that is on its second of three votes next week.