WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA — An old gun law prohibiting carriers from going into parks and recreational areas with their firearm was revisited by the superintendents of James City County, Virginia. Buried in old county ordinances was a provision that was found to be redundant and unanimously chosen to be removed.
County ordinances often times get put on the books and forgotten about but are still theoretically enforceable. Removing old county gun ordinances helps make the law easier to enforce by police and understandable by citizens. This point was brought up by a local citizen from a neighboring county who sat in on the meeting.
via Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily
“I’ve heard there are 22,000 laws on the books involving guns,” said James Prince, a York County resident who attended the meeting and spoke during a public hearing about the deletion of the old ordinance. “It’s hard to stay current with every law. Make it easier for police officers and citizens.”
According to the Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily, the provision didn’t prohibit concealed carriers from entering parks and recreational areas but did complicate matters unnecessarily.
One of the arguments to remove the ordiance was the recent prison escape in upstate New York. Two inmates escaped prison. One of them was captured in an area outside the cordon, considered to be recreational land. County ordinances such as the one previously found on the books of James City County would have inhibited a gun owner from carrying in a similarly designated area. Thankfully, it was removed.
Superintendent Mary Jones (Berkeley) expressed her support of the unanimous decision to remove it, claiming, “anytime we can simplify what’s on the books in James City County, the better.”
