Montgomery County will inspect local gun stores, the first in the state to do so
County Sheriff Sean Kilkenny said the decision was made to curb gun crimes and ensure the shops are following state, local and federal standards.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that it will begin conducting regular inspections of the county’s 92 gun stores in an effort to curb gun violence, becoming the first in the state to do so.
Representatives from the office will ensure that the shops are complying with state and federal laws, including sending sales records to the state police for review and making sure those records match the shop’s inventories. .
If a shop fails an inspection or isn’t up to legal standards its owners will have an opportunity to schedule a follow-up inspection after fixing the issues, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Sean Kilkenny. Otherwise, the shop’s license — which is issued by Kilkenny’s office — will be revoked.
“Our inspections are not intended to infringe upon the privacy rights of firearms dealers or their customers,” he said. “Instead, they are conducted solely to ensure that firearms dealers are operating in compliance with existing state standards and regulations and are properly handling the sale and transfer of firearms.”
Gun stores are inspected every 10 years by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but visits from local authorities are rare. Kilkenny said he learned that state law afforded his office a right to inspect gun stores, and after seeing the rise in gun crimes and straw purchasing in the region, decided to act.
He pledged to work closely with Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele if any illegal activity was uncovered by the inspections.
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Steele established a firearms unit that has prosecuted several straw purchasing rings, documenting hundreds illegal guns that have been distributed to people who could not otherwise have obtained them.
“So often the question is posed, what can the government do to stem the tide of gun violence that’s ravaging our streets?” Kilkenny asked. “The statement and the answer from people on all sides of the political spectrum is enforce the laws that are already on the books. That’s exactly what we’re doing here.”
Carol Lastowka, the Southeast Pennsylvania coordinator for CeaseFirePa, said the move was “a huge step forward for eliminating gun crimes in the state.”
“We know a very small percentage of gun shops are not following regulations, and that most gun shop owners want to be that first filter to keeps individuals who are dangerous from having access to a gun,” she said. “And they, I believe, will wholeheartedly accept this.”
Letters notifying the gun stores of the inspections were sent out Monday, according to Kilkenny, advising owners to contact the sheriff’s office to schedule the first visit.