Gun-rights advocates who vowed to keep addressing an issue which they say violates civil liberties may have some ammunition when state lawmakers return to Richmond for next week's Veto Session. The state ACLU’s executive director is sympathizing with advocates who say LEGAL concealed-carry permit-holders are being unfairly targeted by law enforcement in neighboring states that do not recognize those permits.
A bill vetoed by Governor McAuliffe sought to prevent State Police from sharing concealed-carry permit information with law enforcement in states without reciprocity agreements with Virginia. McAuliffe said it’s a bad idea.
"If there's a crime being committed, under this legislation, we would be prohibited from giving any information to that state, let it be a neighboring state or any other state, who needs critical information on a timely fashion."
But others say Maryland and DC police have targeted out of state drivers-and found through the State Police database that they were LEGAL gun owners. Then, based solely on that information, they pulled over and searched the vehicles and sometimes arrested the drivers if they found legally secured firearms.
"To have law enforcement in another state use that information to do protectoral stops of people in circumstance in which they haven't violated any law---is disturbing--I mean I really do think it's disturbing."
State ACLU Director Claire Guthrie Gastañaga says she respects an officer's need to know if someone has a gun, but such stops negatively impact the conversation about restoring public confidence in law enforcement.
