Cleveland Police Union Asks for Suspension of Open Carry
- By Sydny Shepard
- Jul 18, 2016
The head of Cleveland’s largest police union is calling on Ohio Gov. John Kasich to temporarily tighten the state’s gun laws during this week’s Republican National Convention following the shootings in Baton Rouge and Dallas on police officers.
“We are sending a letter to Gov. Kasich requesting assistance from him. He could very easily do some kind of executive order or something, I don’t care if it is constitutional or not.” president of Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association Stephen Loomis said. "They can fight about it after the RNC or they can lift it after the RNC, but I want him to absolutely outlaw open-carry in Cuyahoga County until this RNC is over."
The “open carry” gun laws in Ohio allow for licensed firearm owners to wear their weapons in public. With the exception of a small “security zone” inside and around the Quicken Loans Arena, residents, delegates and protestors are legally permitted to walk around the city, including within its 1.7 square miles regulated “event zone”, with any firearm not explicitly banned by the state.
"Ohio governors do not have the power to arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws as suggested." Gov. Kasich said. "The bonds between our communities and police must be reset and rebuilt -- as we're doing in Ohio -- so our communities and officers can both be safe. Everyone has an important role to play in that renewal.”
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.