NWA Letters to the Editor

Guns at county facilities won't make anyone safer

The Benton County ordinance allowing elected officials and properly permitted employees to carry concealed handguns in designated county buildings cleared a hurdle recently, moving the proposed ordinance to a final vote at the next Quorum Court meeting on June 28.

This process began on May 21, when County Judge Barry Moehring sent an email survey to all 682 county employees regarding issues of personal safety, physical security improvements such as metal detectors and screening stations, etc. Two-hundred fifty-three responses were received, a respectable rate of return by survey standards. In that survey:

A) Seventy-two percent said they feel safe in their buildings. About 45 percent said they would feel safer if metal detectors and screening stations were installed in their buildings.

B) Asked about preferences for concealed handguns in their buildings, 36 percent said the privilege should be limited to law enforcement officers and deputies, and just under 40 percent said all employees should be allowed to carry a concealed handgun.

A more scientifically formulated survey might have been able to explain the apparent disconnect between "A" and "B" above.

At the Committee of the Whole on June 12, the justices of the peace declined to discuss this discrepancy at any great length. Nor did they discuss potential unintended consequences of allowing concealed handguns in the workplace, such as (1) can the county afford the liability for unintended personal injury, or worse, should that occur; (2) will there be an impact on daily interactions among employees that could include disciplinary actions and interpersonal disagreements; (3) will there be an impact on discussions of opposing viewpoints among employees, between supervisors and employees, and between employees and the public; and (4) will the taxpayers who visit the county buildings feel more safe or less safe.

Surely a law that allows concealed handguns in the workplace and dramatically alters the environment for both employees and taxpayers requires a more studied approach than a 40-day timeline. Postponement of the vote allows officials to poll counterparts across the state about their experiences with similar ordinances; allows county officials to access national research on studies of weapons in the workplace; and allows the taxpayers to discuss this important issue with their elected officials.

Eileen Roufa

Rogers

Commentary on 06/19/2018

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