Bradenton gun panel: Federal actions to curb mass shootings won't work

BRADENTON -- A Tiger Bay Club luncheon Thursday on "The Great Gun Debate" didn't include a lot of debate: The three panelists generally agreed gun ownership is an American right and recent steps taken by the federal government to regulate guns would not cut down on shooting crimes.

Panelists included Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler, Bradenton Times columnist Dennis Maley and executive insurance consultant John D'Alusio, who announced he was carrying his gun.

Maley was the most liberal saying, though he had shot many guns as a former captain in the U.S. Army, he did not own one. He said his decision not to exercise his Second Amendment right came from statistics showing gun owners are more likely to shoot themselves or a family member in an accident than use it for self-defense.

"If you own a gun, you are 4.7 times more likely to be shot than if you don't own a gun," Maley said.

D'Alusio and Tyler said the emphasis should not be on taking guns away or making them harder to get, but rather on more training and responsible ownership.

"Guns themselves are not good or bad. They're inanimate objects," D'Alusio said. "But the people who use them can be good or bad. And guns are inherently dangerous."

Law enforcement officials are constantly training on use of force and weapons, Tyler added, and other gun owners should not take the responsibility less seriously.

Tyler said gun theft has gone up in Palmetto over the past three years.

"One of the biggest things I have an issue with is the lack of consistent firearms education. It may be argued that it's my right to carry a firearm and, as it's my right, you can't make me get training or dictate what training I will have," Tyler said. "But I would say implicit in the Second Amendment is to be responsible with a firearm."

Tyler said most criminals they speak with who possess a firearm obtain it by stealing or borrowing it from people they know. Some steal them from strangers, typically from unlocked cars.

The debate came after the deadliest months in Manatee County history with eight homicides in January, including six shootings.

The Florida Legislature is debating two bills on gun use: one to allow open carry and another to allow concealed carry on university campuses. The first looks likely to

pass in some form, the second does not.

D'Alusio said open carry wasn't hugely pushed by the gun community since most conceal carry permit holders prefer to conceal their weapons. He pointed out 45 states already allow open carry.

Tyler said he had issues with open carry because it would mean retraining officers on how to react to guns in public and could mean escalated confrontations.

"My big concern about this is the reactions of citizens themselves," Tyler said. "Will this increase armed confrontations? Studies are limited, and we haven't seen the wild west culture in states that currently allow open carry. But I am concerned."

All agreed President Barack Obama's recent executive action on gun control -- which mandates anyone in the business of selling firearms must have a license and conduct background checks -- wouldn't have prevented any of the recent mass shootings in the United States. D'Alusio said regulations and laws tend to target hobbyists and collectors rather than dangerous people.

"We have reasonable laws in place to keep firearms from the hands of those who really would be dangerous with them," Tyler said. 'And, for the most part, from the position of a law enforcement officer, most of these laws work."

Tyler said in Palmetto, violent crime involving firearms has been trending down. The two homicides in 2013 involved firearms; two in 2014 did not and two of three in 2015 involved firearms.

"2016 has been bad so far. I hope we're done, but given it's only February I'm not so sure," Tyler said. "But gun crimes in Palmetto are down 12 percent over the past three years."

Kate Irby, Herald online/political reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7055. You can follow her on Twitter @KateIrby.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 11:31 PM with the headline "Bradenton gun panel: Federal actions to curb mass shootings won't work ."