Louisiana Carry
Regular Member
imported post
Dear Superintendent ********,
First of all, I want to thank your division for doing the job you do, and doing it so well. I am well aware that the solid waste industry, both public and private, is certainly one of the most under-rated and under-appreciated aspects of civilization everywhere. My family has been from Shreveport and Caddo Parish for over a century now, but I have lived in several other states in my time, and I can say from experience that your particular division is indeed one to be proud of, especially with the budget the people of Shreveport have for you to work with. Thank you all.
That said, I did encounter an issue at the Woolworth Road Facility today that I trust you will want to promptly address, as it is properly a civil rights concern. I own a business in Shreveport, but it is not a waste business, so I have only had opportunity or need to visit that facility a small number of times over the years. I have always been impressed at how helpful the folks there were. This afternoon, however, as I was bringing a trailer of waste from cleaning out my shed to the main active dump area, I was confronted rather gruffly by one of your equipment operators about my sidearm. I attempted to politely, but firmly, explain that Shreveport has no laws authorizing the dump to be a firearm free zone, but he was rather adamant. I put forth that we agree to disagree, but he apparently was not satisfied with this, as when I reached the weigh station, the attendant had been instructed by the office personnel to inform me that firearms were not allowed at the facility. I again politely informed her that her instructions were in error, though likely well intentioned, and resolved to address the issue with your office.
It so happens that I have my finger on the pulse, so to speak, of Louisiana self defense issues. I am the webmaster of our State’s gun rights informational web site, http://louisianacarry.org (not affiliated with any State agency, purely a volunteer organization), and also a member of the [name removed for web posting], which puts on the area gun shows (non-profit also, we donate all proceeds to local entities in need, and particularly have a several decade long history of helping the city fund various projects over the years). That being the case, I was not particularly upset with the incident today for my own sake, knowing that there was no real legal concern. I am concerned for the City’s sake, though. If (heaven forbid) an employee were to be more forceful about their impression of a firearm prohibition and the event potentially resulted in a false arrest of legally armed citizen as a result of misinformation given to officers (knowing several of SPD’s officers as I do, I think and hope that an unlikely end result, but if it were to come about), this would quite likely result in civil action, and our City’s budget is so stretched already.
As to the necessary details of how it can be specifically and efficiently ascertained that there is indeed not any, nor could there be any, enforceable regulations regarding a law abiding armed citizen utilizing the facility, I thought I would provide a bit of additional detail. The State of Louisiana enacted a law providing for state-wide preemption of all local firearm laws, with a few specific exemptions. That law can be viewed on the Legislative Web Portal here: [RS 40:1796 Preemption of state law]. Barring a law passed prior to the date of that law, which is absent from Shreveport’s Code of Ordinances [there is a searchable database of the City Code here: Shreveport Code of Ordinances], it only allows for the prohibition of firearms from municipal buildings themselves, rather than outdoor facilities and such similar holdings. I have no need to enter the office building at Woolworth Rd, so I am unaware of whether there is a administrative rule regarding carrying in that facility, but I may need to use the dump site itself again. I hope and trust that the Division will address this training issue and prevent any future distasteful interactions of this type in the future.
Self defense being about as fundament a human right as can be possibly conceived, my natural inclination, believing the best in people as a rule, is that this information will be well received and promptly acted upon. I have most often been proud of Shreveport in the past regarding the prompt attention to civil rights matters in the past, and think that this case will be resolved just as satisfactorily. If I may be of any further assistance to your office or the City’s attorney in providing any further information, either about the incident or possibly providing links to additional legislative resources, please do not hesitate to contact me. My phone number is (318) 773-XXXX and my mailing address is P.O. Box 8026, Shreveport, LA 71148.
If you would be so kind, and if it proves possible, I would sincerely appreciate your appraising me of the status of the resolution of this issue. Again, I do not want you to feel like this is an angry letter at all. Your people all do an excellent job, and I want to thank you again for doing so. Lord knows the City would be unlivable in a matter of days without the hard work you all put in.
Sincerely,
Micha Petty
Dear Superintendent ********,
First of all, I want to thank your division for doing the job you do, and doing it so well. I am well aware that the solid waste industry, both public and private, is certainly one of the most under-rated and under-appreciated aspects of civilization everywhere. My family has been from Shreveport and Caddo Parish for over a century now, but I have lived in several other states in my time, and I can say from experience that your particular division is indeed one to be proud of, especially with the budget the people of Shreveport have for you to work with. Thank you all.
That said, I did encounter an issue at the Woolworth Road Facility today that I trust you will want to promptly address, as it is properly a civil rights concern. I own a business in Shreveport, but it is not a waste business, so I have only had opportunity or need to visit that facility a small number of times over the years. I have always been impressed at how helpful the folks there were. This afternoon, however, as I was bringing a trailer of waste from cleaning out my shed to the main active dump area, I was confronted rather gruffly by one of your equipment operators about my sidearm. I attempted to politely, but firmly, explain that Shreveport has no laws authorizing the dump to be a firearm free zone, but he was rather adamant. I put forth that we agree to disagree, but he apparently was not satisfied with this, as when I reached the weigh station, the attendant had been instructed by the office personnel to inform me that firearms were not allowed at the facility. I again politely informed her that her instructions were in error, though likely well intentioned, and resolved to address the issue with your office.
It so happens that I have my finger on the pulse, so to speak, of Louisiana self defense issues. I am the webmaster of our State’s gun rights informational web site, http://louisianacarry.org (not affiliated with any State agency, purely a volunteer organization), and also a member of the [name removed for web posting], which puts on the area gun shows (non-profit also, we donate all proceeds to local entities in need, and particularly have a several decade long history of helping the city fund various projects over the years). That being the case, I was not particularly upset with the incident today for my own sake, knowing that there was no real legal concern. I am concerned for the City’s sake, though. If (heaven forbid) an employee were to be more forceful about their impression of a firearm prohibition and the event potentially resulted in a false arrest of legally armed citizen as a result of misinformation given to officers (knowing several of SPD’s officers as I do, I think and hope that an unlikely end result, but if it were to come about), this would quite likely result in civil action, and our City’s budget is so stretched already.
As to the necessary details of how it can be specifically and efficiently ascertained that there is indeed not any, nor could there be any, enforceable regulations regarding a law abiding armed citizen utilizing the facility, I thought I would provide a bit of additional detail. The State of Louisiana enacted a law providing for state-wide preemption of all local firearm laws, with a few specific exemptions. That law can be viewed on the Legislative Web Portal here: [RS 40:1796 Preemption of state law]. Barring a law passed prior to the date of that law, which is absent from Shreveport’s Code of Ordinances [there is a searchable database of the City Code here: Shreveport Code of Ordinances], it only allows for the prohibition of firearms from municipal buildings themselves, rather than outdoor facilities and such similar holdings. I have no need to enter the office building at Woolworth Rd, so I am unaware of whether there is a administrative rule regarding carrying in that facility, but I may need to use the dump site itself again. I hope and trust that the Division will address this training issue and prevent any future distasteful interactions of this type in the future.
Self defense being about as fundament a human right as can be possibly conceived, my natural inclination, believing the best in people as a rule, is that this information will be well received and promptly acted upon. I have most often been proud of Shreveport in the past regarding the prompt attention to civil rights matters in the past, and think that this case will be resolved just as satisfactorily. If I may be of any further assistance to your office or the City’s attorney in providing any further information, either about the incident or possibly providing links to additional legislative resources, please do not hesitate to contact me. My phone number is (318) 773-XXXX and my mailing address is P.O. Box 8026, Shreveport, LA 71148.
If you would be so kind, and if it proves possible, I would sincerely appreciate your appraising me of the status of the resolution of this issue. Again, I do not want you to feel like this is an angry letter at all. Your people all do an excellent job, and I want to thank you again for doing so. Lord knows the City would be unlivable in a matter of days without the hard work you all put in.
Sincerely,
Micha Petty
