GUNS - Town considers making them mandatory

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Town Considers Making Guns Mandatory

Law Works Like 'Beware Of Dog' Signs

Posted: 12:31 p.m. PDT August 27, 2001

AUMSVILLE, Ore. -- If a former City Council member has his way, homeowners in Aumsville will be required to own guns.

Tim Dunn proposed an ordinance requiring a gun in every home in the town, which is about 9 miles east of Salem.

Dunn (pictured, below) believes that the law acts like a "Beware of Dog" sign -- the possibility of a dog being inside acts as a deterrent for criminals, whether there's really a ferocious canine inside or not.

A police tax levy failed in the town of 3,000, and there are not enough officers to provide 24-hour patrol, KOIN 6 News reports.

The Aumsville City Council will consider the proposal at its regular meeting Monday night.

Opponents worry that the law would lead to gun-related accidents.

City Council president David Drews tells KOIN that he is undecided over the issue. Drews says he fears people children being injured by guns not properly stored.

Earlier in the summer, former Coos County Sheriff Mike Cook proposed a similar law in Southern Oregon. Cook says that he was inspired after learning of a law in Kennesaw, Ga. The law was passed in 1982, and the community saw a 27 percent drop in crime.

Guns have been required in Chiloquin, Ore., homes since the early 1980s. The crime rate has not changed, KOIN reports.

-- Anonymous, August 27, 2001


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