A step too far

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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Marion Police Chief Harry Daugherty has come under fire for sending a letter to the city's business owners, which some gun rights advocates complain urged those owners to ban guns from their premises. They say the chief used his law enforcement position to push a political agenda.

It's well within Daugherty's job description to educate businesses about recent changes to Iowa's weapons carry law. That kind of proactive policing is part of his job and similar to other crime-prevention and public safety efforts common to law enforcement.

That said, it's not Daugherty's place to dictate how private businesses want to handle changes in Iowa's carry law. The chief went a step too far in urging business owners to ban weapons from their property in order to “make both our jobs easier.”

While the letter didn't attempt to require businesses to impose a ban, we can see how some might feel pressured by the chief's strong wording.

Better to stick with the facts: That Iowa's revised weapons law has resulted in a dramatic surge in permits to carry firearms; that county sheriffs no longer have the discretion to require those permit holders to carry their weapons concealed; that many worry about permit holders whose applications they might have denied under the old rules.

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