Watch Live: Congressional Hearing on IRS Scandal

Live BlazeCast at 2pm ET: All the fireworks from the IRS Hearing!

Crime

Proposed City Ordinance Would Let Cops Disarm Citizens During Crises if They Become ‘Unruly’

Feb. 26, 2013 4:17pm Erica Ritz

Guntersville City Proposal Gives Cops Right to Disarm Citizens During Crises, Emergencies

(Photo: WAAY-TV)

A proposed city ordinance in Guntersville, Alabama would allow police officers to disarm citizens during times of crisis if they deem it necessary.

Part of a larger disaster response bill, Mayor Leigh Dollar is standing by the proposal and seemingly tried to downplay it to WAAY-TV.

“By no means is it our intent to disarm, or seize anyone’s firearms,” she assured with a smile and a southern drawl. “This is in there to protect public workers and any volunteers helping should someone become unruly, which can happen because emotions are high…”

“It’s only to protect people,” she added.

The bill will be evaluated at the next Guntersville City Council meeting on March 4, but Mayor Dollar notes that such laws are already on the books in other cities.

In particular, she says she wants to emulate Tuscaloosa. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans cops performed similar acts, in one case reportedly tackling, punching, and confiscating the firearm of a woman who said she wanted to stay at home with her dogs.

(Photo: WAAY-TV)

The Lakeside Post describes the exact phrasing of the Guntersville proposal: “As provided by Alabama State Code, any law enforcement officers acting in official duties may disarm and individual if deemed necessary. The officer must return the firearm to the individual before leaving or [arresting] the individual.”

In 2006 then-President George W. Bush supported measures to strengthen the rights of gun owners during times of emergency, but the bill died in the Senate. As such, it seems the issue still remains in the hands of local officials.

Though Mayor Dollar’s proposal isn’t the first of its kind, a number of Guntersville residents are still concerned by the somewhat loose description of what a person has to be doing to get their weapon confiscated (“unruly”), noting that cops already have authority over people exhibiting actual violence.

“It seems like an infringement on the 2nd Amendment, and that’s the biggest problem I have with it,” local music teacher Paul Landry said.

Keith Sullivan, another local resident, added: “The law’s already there. Somebody’s brandishing a weapon, you can arrest them right there.”

–

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (283)

rightwinder
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:59pm
The police are not necessarily your enemy…
but they are NEVER your friend. Cops put bad guys in jail.

CLUE:everything looks like a nail if you are a hammer.

There are some constitutional Sheriffs and I love to hear about them but even these are NEVER your friend.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
kdshell1
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:58pm
What do you do with representatives of the government who violate their oaths to defend and protect the Constitution?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
mikenleeds
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:57pm
The media puts a pretty blond southern lady in front of a camera to try to convince us she does nt want to take our guns and it s in the best interest of the public ..I say what a load of horse crap.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
freenj
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:52pm
I thought Alabami was a red safe state? Who knew this was happening there. The left is everywhere it’s a plague on our Nation.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
nighttrainno9
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:48pm
I can’t believe that bitch made it home alive. You can get killed for
taking 2nd ammendment rights away. Listen up washington.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
fastgen1
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:47pm
Obama has started to implement 1984….We’s in trouble…..

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
scrapadapolis
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:45pm
Just think that woman just killed any law enforcement officer who dares to confescate anyones guns,After all we know our own property.And will shoot first no questions ever.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:45pm
A good number of years ago I worked in Guntersville. All that I can say, is that for a very small city it has some of the largest groups of public housing that I have ever seen. I have no doubt that this mayor is a liberal Democrat although I can’t get a clear hit on her name in the search engine. Just more of this story. More than likely more of what I saw when I was there more than a decade ago. Oddly, they are very much like New Orleans with much of the city under the water level due to FDR’s Tennessee River programs. Naturally, should any of their levies break, somebody will blame any nearby Republicans rather than those who are actually in charge. As pointed out in the video the laws are already in place to not only disarm those who are unruly, but to arrest and prosecute them regardless of emergencies or not. As for the comparison to Tuscaloosa, that city is a Meca of liberals as is. Yeah, even the South has more than enough left wing loons.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
dockman45
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:41pm
Who’s definition of unruly are we going to use? You will need way more cops to pull that one off and I don’t think your cops are going to want to face off with an army of pissed off people with guns. If you don’t have enough problems with crime during an emergency making everyone a criminal sounds like a great idea. Cops and good people have nothing to fear from good people with guns so who exactly are you trying to protect?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
crusaderx9
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:34pm
Don’t be fooled, if you refuse to let THEM into your house without a warrant or don’t allow them onto your property YOU will be deemed “unruly” and THEY will do what they want to you and your loved ones. That is a sadistic.

During times of emergency is when citizens need their firearms most.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
steviewonder
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:32pm
Really need a recall election. Need to immediately force out any and all such nonsense, especially at the local level.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
tharpdevenport
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:25pm
This has all the earmarks of a future Glenn beck radio program comedy skit:

Glenn: “It’s crazy! So now the police can take you guns away if they think you’re too unruly.”
Pat: “Not nonsensical, hysterical, or jumping up and down on a couch on live TV — only when you’re unruly.
Stu: “How exactly is this going to work? What are they going to do, walk up to the unruly people and tell them, ‘Attention unruly townspeople. You have become too unruly and we will now disarm you.’.”
Pat: “While they’re armed!”
Glenn: “Exactly! And who makes this determination?”

Etc.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
theshortwhiteguy
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:24pm
One of my favorite phrases:

“Hi, I’m here from the government, and I’m here to help.”

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
CWPrequired
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:23pm
If that the case why do all the democrats in her local low income project areas still have guns?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Larry E
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:22pm
This woman is out of her mind! If there’s a crisis it’s likely even more necessary that the people be armed in order to defend themselves. Does this moonbat cow think that the police will be able to “protect and defend” all the citizens who might be in need of protection and/or defense? She might, but as with all progresso-commies she’s delusional.

What constitutes “unruly”, your cops come, knock on my door, and I’m unruly because I won’t let you confiscate my gun(s)? That’s what it would likely amount to.

This makes me even happier that I don’t live in the Peoples Republic of Alabama or anywhere like it.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Listen_then_think
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:21pm
Hope you folks in Alabama like the movie deliverance, cause that is what is going to happen to you if you let your freak of a mayor pass this. Stand up against tyrrany, resist socialism.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
65Mustang
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:19pm
What an idiotic piece of BS

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
msjoe43
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:17pm
Proposed City Ordinance Would Let Cops Disarm Citizens During Crises if They Become ‘Unruly’….will Mayor Leigh Dollar and the cops go to the low income housing area knocking on doors to disarm the mob of drug gangs they become ‘Unruly’. … drive by shootings, selling illegal drugs.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
omgfolks
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:13pm
This woman is a joke and should be removed from office. To think that during a time of crisis it is OK to disarm citizens only goes to show she is nothing but a scared whinner. This is the dumbest thing I have heard in a while.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
publicas
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:12pm
DHS to release thousands of illegals!!!

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/26/dhs-to-release-thousands-illegal-immigrants-blaming-budget-cuts/

Arizona Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said Tuesday that
Immigration and Customs Enforcement released more than 500
detainees in his county alone over the weekend. A spokesman for
Babeu told FoxNews.com that ICE officials have said they plan to
release…

How many are being released in D.C.?

How many are being released where you live?

What happens to DHS when these released illegals start stealing,
raping and murdering citizens again?

What better reason for a real citizen to open carry today?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ThorLoser
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:08pm
What is the purpose of having a weapon if you can’t have it when people are being “unruly”?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
momrules
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:08pm
It was a while before I learned of the gun confiscation from law abiding citizens that happened after Katrina. This video shows what was going on, how helpless people felt and were at the hands of the government.

When any government official says they are doing something for your protection or for the children you just know it it is something bad and/or unconstitutional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLm5kkBgKSM

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Pontiaku
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:43pm
  “Proposed City Ordinance Would Let Cops Disarm Citizens During Crises if They Become ‘Unruly’”
  Sounds to me like
  All
  The
  More
  Reason
  To
  Be
  Armed
  
  Report this comment
- ltb
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:01pm
  Yep. The stupidity of Liberals never ceases to amuse me. Anyone with a triple digit IQ would realize that the last thing you want to do to unruly people is approach them and try to take away their guns. It would be fun to watch though. Anyway, this stupid, ignorant mayor is exactly why we have the Second Amendment.
  
  Report this comment
- galaxie_man
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:44pm
  Better to die on your feet, than to live on your knees.
  
  Report this comment
- Pontiaku
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:01pm
  To further my point
  
  “Cops Disarm Citizens”
  Citizen in no way implies criminal or foreigner. So why disarm us?
  
  “During Crises”
  In a crises WHY deny me the right to protect myself or my family?
  
  “if They Become ‘Unruly’”
  YOU DO NOT RULE US! You represent us, NEVER forget that.
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:31pm
  Are you sure you want them to say they REPRESENT you (That kind of people)?….I mean, I know what you are saying, but now, you know what I’m saying too….just a thought…
  
  Report this comment
media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:07pm
I guess she plans on making people really, really, really angry? Police already have this power? You know why some liberals make laws? Because they want to see themselves on TV, there is no other logical reason? They go home that night, oh, yeah, look at me?

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- 1American1st
  Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:14am
  You mean to see how dumb they look on TV?
  
  Report this comment
Mil-Dot
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:05pm
Exactly SRat,
Hitler said something like “People will endure any hardship or restrictions as long as they accept that it is being done for the children”. This lady is a rat-fink commie and she must be burned out and pitch-forked.
Log in to Reply Reply
DougHuffman
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 5:05pm
mailto:mayordollar@guntersvilleal.org

http://www.guntersvilleal.org/_images/home/postcard/EmergencyProceduresOrdinance.pdf

Statement on Proposed Emergency Procedures Ordinance
The City of Guntersville is considering a proposed ordinance that would establish temporary
emergency procedures during a municipal disaster. The purpose is to allow immediate, temporary
action for protection of persons and property when normal communications and procedures
are impossible due to the disaster.
The ordinance is being proposed based on the experience and advice of the City of Tuscaloosa
following the April 2011 tornadoes. It uses the same wording as the state law that allows the
Governor to declare an emergency, giving local officials the ability to respond more quickly to a
localized disaster.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.