Cleveland City Council aims low in attempt to keep kids from guns

Cleveland’s NewsChannel5 is reporting that Cleveland council members are waging a new campaign to stop gun violence, and it appears as though they are prepared to walk down the same tried and true (and failed) path of efforts that have been occurring for years.

From the story:

Many Cleveland residents are afraid and concerned about the increasing gun violence in their neighborhoods.

At a public safety committee hearing, police Chief Michael McGrath was grilled on what the department is doing to track the source of weapons that end up in so many crimes involving kids.

"I do know that if somebody is robbed and if we can identify the suspects and also identify where the weapons came from, that is something we follow up immediately," said McGrath.

The committee wants a zero-tolerance policy on kids committing crimes with guns.

But in a state where it's legal to carry concealed weapons, Council President Frank Jackson admits there is only so much they can do.

"It very much limits our ability to prohibit handguns in the city of Cleveland and it greatly increases the likelihood of children being able to gain access to guns and do harm," said Jackson.

The committee is planning to hold another hearing and will debate a new strategy aimed at reducing the number of guns in the community.

After a recent spate of violence in Philadelphia, that city’s mayor decided to target law-abiding, licensed concealed handgun carriers instead of focusing his efforts where they would matter – on the criminals perpetrating these heinous crimes. Judging by Council President Jackson’s comments, the City of Cleveland appears to share the same faulty mindset.

We are not aware of one single case in which an Ohio CHL-holders’ firearm was obtained by a child and used to harm another. Frank Jackson has absolutely NO reason to blame OhioCCW for the problems in his city.

Perhaps instead, Jackson should acknowledge that the multitude of gun control laws already in place in his city have failed in their promise to protect the children, and call for mandatory firearms education training in Cleveland City Schools, such as the NRA’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program. The state of Ohio has even set aside funding for such eduction, which we guarantee would prove to be MUCH more meaningful than one more gun control law, based on one more empty promise.

Related Stories:
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Ohio Funds Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program in Schools for Second Year