Gary council passes citywide firearm ordinance
At its Tuesday meeting, the Gary Common Council unanimously passed an ordinance placing restrictions on weapon use and discharge in the city.
Councilman Dwight Williams, D-6th, was absent from Tuesday's meeting, which was held at the Gary Sanitary District's administrative building.
The council's Public Safety committee first heard the ordinance, which makes it unlawful for anyone to shoot or discharge guns within city limits.
Indiana Code prohibits political subdivisions from placing multiple restraints on firearms, including the ownership, possession, carrying, transportation, registration, transfer and storage of the weapons, according to state code. Political subdivisions include governing bodies in cities, towns and counties.
No provision specifically prohibits local governing bodies from regulating the firing or discharge of firearms and weapons, according to the Gary ordinance.
'Many cities have on the books already that you're prohibited from shooting firearms in the city,' said Carla Morgan, corporation counsel for the city of Gary. 'Because what legitimate reason, if you're not a police officer, do you have for doing such a thing?'
City leadership previously believed there was an ordinance that established firearm rules in Gary, but it couldn't be found, Morgan said.
Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon supports the ordinance.
'This ordinance, in its totality, is in alignment with other municipalities in this area,' Cannon said. 'Even Lake County has adopted an ordinance for unincorporated areas that is similar.'
Councilman Kenneth Whisenton, D-at large, at the public safety committee meeting, asked if pellet guns were included in the ordinance.
'Nowadays, you have pellet guns that use air that can drop a human in a heartbeat,' Whisenton said at the public safety committee meeting.
Whisenton and Councilman Dwayne Halliburton, D-2nd, both asked for language defining weapons to be included in the final version. On Tuesday, Morgan told council members that air guns and rifles, crossbows and firearms were defined in the ordinance's final version.
The ordinance's final version also removed a section allowing hunting in the city's natural areas, of which Cannon previously disapproved. It's 'inherently dangerous' for people to hunt near the city's populated areas, Morgan said.
All changes to the ordinance were included in an amendment, which was unanimously approved Tuesday night.
A first offense will result in a $250 fine, a second will lead to a $500 fine, a third a $750 fine, and a fourth will mean a $1,000 fine. The fifth and any subsequent offenses will result in a $2,500 fine.
All existing Gary code that conflicts with the changes will be null and void, according to the ordinance.
In 2024, the city saw non-fatal shootings decrease about 10%, going from 147 incidents to 132, according to a previous announcement from the Gary Police Department. The city also had 40 total homicides, falling 23% from 2023 and the lowest number recorded since 2018.
'Through more proactive policing, we've taken a strong stance on crime prevention,' Cannon previously said in a statement. 'The improvements we've made are a direct result of our commitment to staying ahead of criminal activity and building relationships with community partners who can help solve more cases.'
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Gary council passes citywide firearm ordinance
At its Tuesday meeting, the Gary Common Council unanimously passed an ordinance placing restrictions on weapon use and discharge in the city. Councilman Dwight Williams, D-6th, was absent from Tuesday's meeting, which was held at the Gary Sanitary District's administrative building. The council's Public Safety committee first heard the ordinance, which makes it unlawful for anyone to shoot or discharge guns within city limits. Indiana Code prohibits political subdivisions from placing multiple restraints on firearms, including the ownership, possession, carrying, transportation, registration, transfer and storage of the weapons, according to state code. Political subdivisions include governing bodies in cities, towns and counties. No provision specifically prohibits local governing bodies from regulating the firing or discharge of firearms and weapons, according to the Gary ordinance. 'Many cities have on the books already that you're prohibited from shooting firearms in the city,' said Carla Morgan, corporation counsel for the city of Gary. 'Because what legitimate reason, if you're not a police officer, do you have for doing such a thing?' City leadership previously believed there was an ordinance that established firearm rules in Gary, but it couldn't be found, Morgan said. Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon supports the ordinance. 'This ordinance, in its totality, is in alignment with other municipalities in this area,' Cannon said. 'Even Lake County has adopted an ordinance for unincorporated areas that is similar.' Councilman Kenneth Whisenton, D-at large, at the public safety committee meeting, asked if pellet guns were included in the ordinance. 'Nowadays, you have pellet guns that use air that can drop a human in a heartbeat,' Whisenton said at the public safety committee meeting. Whisenton and Councilman Dwayne Halliburton, D-2nd, both asked for language defining weapons to be included in the final version. On Tuesday, Morgan told council members that air guns and rifles, crossbows and firearms were defined in the ordinance's final version. The ordinance's final version also removed a section allowing hunting in the city's natural areas, of which Cannon previously disapproved. It's 'inherently dangerous' for people to hunt near the city's populated areas, Morgan said. All changes to the ordinance were included in an amendment, which was unanimously approved Tuesday night. A first offense will result in a $250 fine, a second will lead to a $500 fine, a third a $750 fine, and a fourth will mean a $1,000 fine. The fifth and any subsequent offenses will result in a $2,500 fine. All existing Gary code that conflicts with the changes will be null and void, according to the ordinance. In 2024, the city saw non-fatal shootings decrease about 10%, going from 147 incidents to 132, according to a previous announcement from the Gary Police Department. The city also had 40 total homicides, falling 23% from 2023 and the lowest number recorded since 2018. 'Through more proactive policing, we've taken a strong stance on crime prevention,' Cannon previously said in a statement. 'The improvements we've made are a direct result of our commitment to staying ahead of criminal activity and building relationships with community partners who can help solve more cases.'
