Boston Police Commissioner William Evans. Photo Credit: Boston Police.
Boston Police Say Residents Do Not ‘Need’ to Own Shotguns, Rifles
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans tells Boston Public Radio (WGBH) that residents of Boston do not need shotguns or rifles.
Posted July 25, 2014 by William Vaughns (166 Comments)
Boston's top cop made that statement Wednesday on Boston Public Radio in response to Massachusetts state senator Stan Rosenberg's position that there are already "sufficient controls" on long guns at the federal level, giving no need for new state laws that grant police additional powers to deny ownership to citizens.
According to WGBH, Evans responded:
I don't agree with that. Having long guns--rifles and shotguns--especially here in the city of Boston. I think we should have, as the local authority, some say in the matter. [And] the federal [government] doesn't really allow us to have the discretion that we want in these particular cases.
...For the most part, nobody in the city needs a shotgun. Nobody needs a rifle.
Police have been urging lawmakers in Boston to restore a provision to a gun bill allowing them to deny someone a license to own a rifle or shotgun even if the person passes a background check.
The Massachusetts House voted to give police those powers, but the senate later stripped that section out of the bill. Lawmakers are now expected to attend a conference committee, where the dispute could kill the bill altogether.
