lapeer20m
Regular Member
I had no idea this would be the front page of the county press! I have been working on getting the signs removed from the Sheriff's department. Looks like i could use a little more help!
http://thecountypress.mihomepaper.com/
http://thecountypress.mihomepaper.com/
A North Branch man is standing up for what he believes is his right bear arms, even inside the building that houses the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department and Lapeer County Jail.
Jason Harrison came to a Lapeer County Commission meeting last month, expressing his concerns that the signs on the doors of the Sheriff’s Department prohibiting concealed weapons as unlawful. After the meeting, he was told by Commissioner Cheryl Clark that to her understanding the signs had been changed or removed. Harrison said he was thrilled when he heard that.
“I drove immediately when I left there to the sheriff’s department,” he said.
It all started, Harrison said, when he went into the sheriff’s department to drop off the required registration paperwork for a new pistol he had purchased. He said he was wearing the gun, and after he saw the sign, he unconcealed it before entering the lobby. He said the person he spoke to was not happy to see him with the gun. He spoke to a sergeant who said the sign was legal, and he was asked to leave the building and come in without a firearm in the future if he wanted to do business there.
Harrison is loosely associated with a group called Michigan Open Carry, and said the issue of firearm rights has been “kind of a hobby” of his for a few years.
“I think the gun is the symbol of freedom and liberty,” he said, saying that every totalitarian government in history has taken away citizens rights to bear arms, citing Russia and Nazi Germany as examples. “If you’re in America, we’re a free society.”
On Thursday, he came in front of the county commissioners again to tell them that the sign has not, in fact, been removed, and that he still believes it is illegal. He asked them to “compel the sheriff” to remove the sign.
Commissioners responded that they did not have the authority to make the sheriff remove the sign, however, Commissioner Ian Kempf did promise to contact Prosecutor Byron Konschuh to get his opinion on the issue.
“Byron has looked at it before and is looking at it again.” Kempf said, adding that he plant to have konschuh’s firm opinion on the matter by this Thursdays County Commission meeting.
Kempf added that the tentative opinion is that the sheriff’s department is connected to the jail and therefore falls under the exemption to the law that applies to prisons.
“I think that the other thing that is going to come up is that the magistrates go to the jail to hold trials there, so it’s acting also as a working courthouse and courthouses are clearly covered.” Kempf said.
Kempf said he is fine with addressing Harrison’s concerns as a citizen.
“he clearly has a passion.” Kempf said. “He’s been very polite and respectful and I think he deserves an answer and we’re more than happy to get it for him.”