VCDL Fixes Unlawful “No Guns” Policy At Fairfax VA. Public Safety Building

No Guns Gun Free Zone
No whining, no hedging, no delays. That’s how a police department and a county attorney’s office should be run. Fairfax County PD continues being on the top of my list

Virginia – -(Ammoland.com)- Member Mark Anderson, who is a firearms instructor (Discover Shooting), went with a student to the new Fairfax Public Safety Building to assist the student in getting fingerprinted for an out-of-state permit. Upon arriving, Mark saw metal detectors and was advised that he couldn’t bring his gun in the building.

Mark asked the security guard (non-sworn, private security) what ordinance allowed such a prohibition. Unable to answer that question (of course), the guard relented somewhat and told Mark he could place his gun in a lockbox they had in the building. Due to time constraints, Mark complied and got in touch with me that evening.

I made some calls to the police and was told that Fairfax had an ordinance that allowed them to designate any government building as a gun-free zone. I knew that wasn’t the case and ended up leaving a message for the Fairfax Chief of Police.

I didn’t know when I’d get a return call from Chief Roessler, so I also called the County Attorney. She was busy, but returned my call about 10 minutes later. She was pleasant and professional. She said she would check into the matter and get back to me.

A little while later I got a call from a Major with Fairfax PD. The Chief had asked him to return my call. The Major agreed with my assessment that carry, both openly and concealed with a CHP, was lawful and said he would contact security right away to resolve the problem.

Virginia Citizens Defense League

No whining, no hedging, no delays. That’s how a police department and a county attorney’s office should be run. Fairfax County PD continues being on the top of my list for Virginia law enforcement agencies.

About Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL):

Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.

For more information, visit: www.vcdl.org.

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ER

Thank you for this great update. I may actually be taking a job with a local government in Virginia. The building I interviewed in had a “no guns allowed” sign. It is not a court house so I’m thinking I should still be okay with my CHP. If I take the job, I will definitely be calling someone to confirm though. I am not excited about working in a public building without being able to carry.

Jacob M. Opperman

I want to know when is our President going to just pass a bill or do a repeal on each a every gun ban law out there. I feel that any and all State and Federal gun ban law for any and all Government, Hostpitals, and any business who have them that they are no long legal. I am tired of going into place unarmed waiting for some one to attack. It is time to do away with them now and start to uphold the Constitution and those laws our For Fathers Wrote so many hundreds of years ago. If… Read more »

William Harrington

Fortunately, Mark is a firearms instructor and appears to be well versed in local regulations as well as VA law, however ,how does the ordinary citizen know or learn the legal ins and outs of local and state gun laws. I live in Maryland but have resided in VA. Maryland, I understand is unfriendly to the 2nd Amendment but little info is available,to my knowledge, about local regs.

Wayne Clark

I agree with Shawn in wanting to see a follow up. I’m pleased to read where someone actually did something to challenge & change an unlawful posting. After all the complaining about how cities break the law by posting/prohibiting the legal carrying of firearms (in a building that’s public, or public parks, in Knoxville, for example) but nobody that can get the change does anything, it’s refreshing to see that persistence (& the right people) can get the city to be compliant with the law…& Constitution.

JS

As an ordinance was violated, does someone get cited. After all, someone told the rent a cops to not allow legal firearms through.
I agree with the assessment on that is how a county should operate. Never going to see that happen in the liberal counties of California

Shawn Shahan

I would be interested to know if a follow-up was done to see if anything was actually done at the public safety Bldg. Or did they just say that to get you to leave them alone?
SS