The city of Newport heard a first reading for an ordinance requiring people to secure firearms left unattended in any vehicle and creating a penalty for any violation.
Newport Assistant Chief of Police Herschel Day said last year, the city saw 18 firearm thefts; of those, 13 were from vehicles, and out of those 13, the firearms were left unsecured or in plain sight.
“This ordinance will help tremendously with keeping some of these guns off the street and out of the wrong hands,” Day said.
So far this year, Day said the city has seen four stolen firearms out of vehicles.
The ordinance states that anyone possessing or transporting any loaded or unloaded firearm must place the gun and any accompanying ammunition in a secure, locked location upon exiting their vehicle. Acceptable areas in the ordinance include the center console, glove compartment, or trunk.
Placing the firearm under the seat or floor mat, in a side door storage compartment, or any other unsecured container or storage space is not an acceptable location defined in the ordinance.
Those found to violate the law will be guilty of a misdemeanor and pay a fine of no more than $500 and imprisonment of no more than 30 days, or both for each offense.
The ordinance will be voted on for adoption during a second reading at a future meeting.
