LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg is changing how Louisville Metro Police handles firearms that were used in violent crimes.
Before those guns can be transferred to Kentucky State Police to be sold at auction, they’ll be “rendered inoperative” by having their firing pin removed, Greenberg said Thursday.
LMPD’s interim chief, Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, is now directing the department to follow the new procedure when transferring guns used in violent crimes to Kentucky State Police.
That’s because of a new legal memorandum from Mayor Craig Greenberg. It calls for the guns’ firing pin to be removed and remain paired with the weapon.
Before it’s transferred to be sold at a police auction by KSP, it’ll get a warning sticker. It would indicate that the gun may have been used to commit a homicide, including the killing of a child.
Gun store owner Barry Laws said that new rule isn’t much of a solution.
“I buy it, I put the firing pin back in, I throw away the warning and what have we done, we’ve done nothing,” Laws said.
“We recognize that this policy is just the start. It’s not the complete solution. But we can’t sit by while hundreds of people are murdered in Louisville each year by guns,” Greenberg said.
Laws believes that this change will not deter people from buying firearms used in violent acts.
“When they take the firing pin out, it’s in a controlled environment,” he said. “Nobody cares. They already know it’s a gun used in a crime.”
Greenberg is also advocating for passing House Bill 325. That would allow the city or police department to destroy firearms used in violent crimes.
“And we hope state legislators will do the right thing and give Louisville the freedom that we want and need to get guns off our streets,” Greenberg said.
Laws would prefer that the mayor work with gun owners in developing city-wide rules.
“I would respect him highly if he came in and said, ‘hey Barry, let’s sit down and talk about, let’s really talk about gun safety,’” Laws said.
According to the Mayor’s office, LMPD has a “overwhelming” stockpile of firearms which would be turned over to the Kentucky State Police.