Detroit City Council to consider gun-free zones as advocates push back
Advocates Scotty Boman, Rick Ector and Ryan Brennan are urging Detroit City Council to vote against a resolution that would create gun-free zones in Detroit.© Dana Afana
Detroit City Council members on Tuesday postponed a vote on a resolution to establish gun-free zones in certain high-traffic parts of the city.
Councilmember Mary Waters pushed the resolution back to committee where members can further discuss proposed changes. The resolution calls for urging the Michigan Legislature to repeal the Firearm and Ammunition Act 319 of 1990 since Detroit is not allowed to establish the zones under current state gun laws. At a meeting in April, Waters proposed gun-free zones in areas that include the Detroit riverfront, Greektown, Hart Plaza, Spirit of Detroit Plaza and Campus Martius. Shootings have occurred in the downtown area in recent weekends as the weather warms toward summer and more people head outside.
In pushing for the change, Waters said parents need to ensure their children conduct themselves responsibly, urging guns in a household with children “should be locked up and stored so children cannot gain access.”
But Scotty Boman, founder of Detroit Residents Advancing Civilian Oversight, said despite council members being well-intentioned, such a move would have adverse effects.
“I don’t believe the correct response to the violence that we have had in our city is to deny basic liberties to the residents, and specifically the idea of making Greektown into a gun-free zone is not going to help make anyone safer and it is an infringement of people’s basic rights,” said Boman, who gathered on Monday in Greektown with other gun rights supporters. “The fact of the matter is that criminals don’t care about the law. If we set up checkpoints on public streets, that’s yet another thing, now we’re talking about search and seizure rights. … I think it’s best to have responsible gun owners who can actually respond and help protect and help stop active shooters.”
Boman, alongside National Rifle Association member Rick Ector and Wayne County Libertarian Party member Ryan Brennan, said it punishes individuals without ensuring safety.