Georgia’s attorney general said Savannah city officials overstepped their authority by making it illegal to leave firearms in unlocked cars.
Savannah’s mayor and city council said in April that local police statistics show more than 200 guns were reported stolen from unlocked vehicles last year, and the plan aims to make it harder for criminals to steal guns. A new city ordinance was enacted. Under this law, he is subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 and 30 days in jail.
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Republican Attorney General Chris Carr said in a letter to Savannah officials on Friday that the gun ordinance is a state law that prohibits local governments from regulating the “possession, possession, transportation, and/or carrying” of firearms. He said it was a violation.
“Because the General Assembly has specified the regulation of firearms as a general, statewide concern, local ordinances cannot regulate firearms,” Carr wrote.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson speaks during a press conference on March 11, 2020 in Savannah, Georgia. Georgia’s attorney general said Savannah city officials overstepped their authority by making it illegal to leave a firearm in an unlocked car. (AP Photo/Russ Bynum)
Carr’s letter raises the possibility of court challenges over whether city governments like Savannah can enact gun safety measures, which have little support in the Republican-controlled state Legislature. are doing. A lawsuit filed in Chatham County Superior Court last week by a man who reportedly frequents Savannah asks a judge to block enforcement of the city’s gun laws.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said Monday that city hall’s efforts have not slowed. Johnson, a Democrat and former police officer, supported the city’s ordinance as a way to force gun owners to act responsibly without infringing on their rights to own and bear firearms.
“We do encourage people to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Johnson said in a statement Monday, “but this ordinance remains in effect and will continue to be enforced. Probably.”
Savannah City Council unanimously voted on April 11 to require guns stored in parked vehicles to be locked and to report gun theft to police within 24 hours. No one opposed the ordinance during the public comment period at City Hall, but it was supported by members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
According to Savannah Police, 244 guns were reported stolen from vehicles last year, 203 of which were stolen from unlocked vehicles. Police have reported similar numbers so far this year, with 56 of the 69 thefts occurring from unlocked cars.
Before Savannah took action, gun control advocates earlier this year failed to convince the state Legislature to introduce a $300 state income tax credit for the cost of gun locks, gun safes and safety courses.
In his letter, Carr noted that courts in Georgia have struck down previous gun restrictions imposed by local governments. He cited a 2007 Georgia Court of Appeals decision that overturned a Coweta County ordinance banning firearms on county-operated playgrounds and other recreational facilities.
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Kerr’s letter warned city officials that they could face civil liability if they enforced the law.
“These concerns alone suggest that the city should immediately consider revoking its gun control approval,” Carr said.
