I have mixed feelings on this and wonder what the rest of you guys think. There's been talk before about the Worcester Chief being anti-gun owner, but then then this also feels like a legitimate response to violations that occurred. What do you'all think? Gun range to fight suspensions Wednesday, February 14, 2007 Oct. suicide led to probe of policies By Milton J. Valencia TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF WORCESTER— The police chief has suspended a local gun range’s licenses to rent and sell firearms and ammunition, a move a lawyer said will put the company out of business. The issue could head to court as soon as today. The suspension forecasts a larger debate over gun licenses in the city, with proposed changes to an ordinance already before the City Council. The issue may be argued in the courts first. The lawyer for the Boston Gun Range said the suspension of the company’s licenses as of yesterday is a violation of its due process, and contradicts agreements made in an administrative hearing held last month. “For all practical purposes, (the chief) has closed the gun range down,” said lawyer Jonathan Finkelstein, of Worcester. He said he may appear before Worcester Superior Court as soon as today to seek a court order halting the suspension. The actions stem from an investigation at the gun range, at 317 Southwest Cutoff, after a suicide there in October. An Uxbridge woman rented a 9 mm there and killed herself. She did not have a permit or license to have a weapon. The suicide spotlighted the gun range’s practices, including several violations of the range’s licenses, as well as possible violations of state law, according to Police Chief Gary J. Gemme. But differing interpretations of the state law have triggered a debate over shooting range gun policies, in Worcester and across the state. At issue is whether the range can accept a customer who has no firearm identification card or license to carry — a practice it, and at least one other range in the state, has followed for years. Last month, the city License Commission suspended for six months the business’s license to operate as a shooting range based on the investigation into the suicide. It found that the Uxbridge woman had no direct supervision; that the gun range used human silhouettes as targets, in violation of its license; and that it had no supervisor with proper licenses when the incident occurred. The license suspension was suspended for one year. That same day, the chief suspended the licenses over which he has authority: the right to sell and rent firearms, to sell ammunition, and to operate as a gunsmith. He said the suspensions were based on the same issues brought before the License Commission. Mr. Finkelstein called for an administrative hearing, saying it was required, and a hearing was held Jan. 31.Yesterday’s suspension was based on that hearing. The chief said yesterday that the suspension is indefinite and a hearing will be held. But Mr. Finkelstein complained that he was told a suspension would not be issued until a discipline hearing is held, so that he could argue against the suspension. He has said before that some 85 percent of the company’s customers have no FID card or gun license and need to rent guns at the range. The suspension of the license would put the company out of business, he said. “We’ll probably go into court tomorrow to have the (disciplinary) hearing the chief has promised,” Mr. Finkelstein said yesterday. The issue could be superfluous, however, with proposed changes to city ordinances that the chief has already put before the City Council. The changes would require an FID card or license to use a firearm at a gun range. Police have said the changes would better reflect state law banning the use of a gun by anyone who doesn’t have any FID card or permit. Mr. Finkelstein, however, argues that gun ranges, by the nature of their business, are exempted by law because of the licenses they hold. At least one other gun range said it follows the same practice as the Boston Gun Range. Two other public ranges would not comment on their policies. Banning all customers would ban Boy Scouts seeking a merit badge and police officers training for an academy, Mr. Finkelstein said. The Uxbridge woman wouldn’t have qualified for a gun license because she had a felony conviction and a history of domestic abuse. In three weeks in January, police found that 19 people who shot at the range had felony convictions; seven were under 21 years of age; and three were known gang members with felony drug convictions, the chief said in a letter to the City Council. In addition, an undercover officer who said he had no license or permit went into the facility, shot without being supervised in violation of license rules, and left the facility with ammunition in his pocket. The chief said he acknowledged many of the gun range’s customers may be law-abiding citizens, who would be inconvenienced by the change to city rules. But he argued that the inconvenience must be weighed against public safety.
Posted by: Killjoy
I've been there and personally I think the place sucks...zero customer service and a poor selection of firearms.
Posted by: SOT
There was a thread on this someplace a while back.
There's NO WAY in hell the guy can sell ammo the way he does. There is NO WAY that a person who doesn't have an LTC should be using a firearm without direct supervision of someone who does while in MA.
It's that simple.
I have multiple state licenses, the wording is very clear and flows to both sides of the thing. He's lucky the BATFE isn't involved as he has sold ammunition and allowed unauthorized or prohibited persons to have access to firearms. The RESPONSIBILITY for making sure this doesn't happen is with the licensee.
To that end the Police Chief of Worcester can not modify a state license to his will. You either grant the state license or you do not. There is no provision in the law that REQUIRES a person using a firearm to have an FID or LTC, they can be supervised by someone who does. It would be foolish to limit people who don't have FID/LTC's from being able to shoot at a range if they are supervised. How would they ever be able to take a class, if the class requires shooting?
Lastly the human silhouette thing is bogus, that's if the club or facility has a Class A Club license, I thought the guy had a Gunsmith and Ammo dealing license. Not a Class A club...anyone know? Also if the club exists already, he would be exempt from most changes to an ordinance that would limit his continued use of a property in the manner in which it was previously used.
End of story...
Posted by: justanotherparatrooper
"police found that 19 people who shot at the range had felony convictions"
"and three were known gang members with felony drug convictions".....
I can assume then that 22 felons are in custody then?
Posted by: SOT
That's a good question, but I know this...he ammo to a cop who went in undercover, with no FID/LTC and that in and of itself is worth I think 2 years+ for the idiot.
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