Posted on 06/09/2005 6:17:26 AM PDT by calcowgirl
Local gun club members have banned on-duty state Justice Department officers from their popular Sacramento-area shooting range in a symbolic stand against Attorney General Bill Lockyer's pursuit of legislation they oppose.
Lockyer's office fired back Wednesday by calling the impact minimal because most, if not all, of its Sacramento-based officers did not use the range on duty in the past year.
The Folsom Shooting Club, which runs the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center in Sloughhouse, last week sent the Democratic attorney general a letter describing the ban and the group's opposition to two bills designed to trace bullets or cartridges back to a shooter.
The club is opposed to Senate Bill 357 by Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana, which would require handgun bullets in California to have a serial number, and Assembly Bill 352 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, which would require semiautomatic guns to stamp cartridges upon firing.
Club President Thomas Hause wrote to Lockyer that the organization "is concerned that your staff will further your efforts regarding AB 352 and SB 357 while using our facility." According to the letter, the Folsom club has roughly 1,000 members and its range sits on more than 880 acres.
The Justice Department's 500 sworn officers, like other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, are required to meet state firing standards four times a year. The department's 100 Sacramento-based officials use local shooting ranges based on convenience and availability, said Nathan Barankin, a Lockyer spokesman. He said he was able to determine Wednesday that at least 80 of those agents did not use the Sloughhouse range in the past year because it was too expensive.
But Ed Vernon, vice president of the Folsom Shooting Club, said various law enforcement agencies, including the Justice Department, use the club's range each week.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Lockyer's office fired back Wednesday by calling the impact minimal because most, if not all, of its Sacramento-based officers did not use the range on duty in the past year.
Lockyer has said publicly he is not running for Governor.
He now wants to run for Treasurer.
It's really a dumb idea to freeze out any LEOs who actually
like the public (aka civilians)
Interaction between LEOs and the public is good..especially
on the range..helps to erase suspicions either party might
harbor against the other
imo
Yep - that too.
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