Georgia’s attorney general says Savannah overstepped in outlawing guns in unlocked cars
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Georgia’s attorney general says city officials in Savannah have overstepped their authority by making it illegal to leave firearms in unlocked cars.
Savannah’s mayor and city council in April passed the new city ordinance aimed at making it harder for criminals to steal guns, citing local police statistics showing that more than 200 guns were stolen from unlocked vehicles last year. The law carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and thirty days in jail.
Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, said in a letter to Savannah officials Friday that the gun ordinance violates a state law that prohibits local governments from regulating “the possession, ownership, transportation (or) carrying” of firearms .
“Because the General Assembly has expressly identified the regulation of firearms as a matter of general, statewide concern, no local ordinance can regulate firearms,” Carr wrote.
Carr’s letter portends a likely lawsuit over whether city governments like Savannah’s can impose gun safety measures that have received little support in a state Legislature dominated by Republicans. A lawsuit filed last week in Chatham Count Superior Court by a man described as a frequent visitor to Savannah asks a judge to halt enforcement of the city’s gun ordinance.
The Savannah City Council voted unanimously on April 11 to require that parked vehicles be locked if weapons are stored in them and that people must report gun thefts to police within 24 hours. No one spoke against the ordinance during a public comment period at City Hall, where it was supported by members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Mayor Van Johnson, a Democrat and former police officer, has previously said the ordinance aims to allow gun owners to act responsibly without infringing on their Second Amendment rights. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from a City Hall spokesperson on Monday.
According to Savannah police, 244 guns were stolen from vehicles last year, 203 of which were from unlocked cars. Police have reported a similar number so far this year, with 56 of the 69 thefts coming from unlocked cars.
Before Savannah took action, gun control advocates failed earlier this year to convince state lawmakers to enact a $300 state income tax credit to pay for gun locks, gun safes and security classes.
In his letter, Carr noted that courts in Georgia have struck down previous gun restrictions imposed by local governments. He cited a 2007 ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals that struck down a Coweta County ordinance banning firearms on county-operated athletic fields and other recreational facilities.
Carr’s letter warned city officials that they could be held civilly liable for its enforcement.
“Based on this concern alone, it appears that the city should immediately consider rescinding approval of the gun ordinance,” Carr said.