REDONDO BEACH : Advisory Vote on Gun Permits OKd for 1995

Residents will have a chance next year to tell lawmakers whether more people should be allowed to carry concealed weapons. But the vote will be only advisory; state law, which overrides local law, allows only a police chief to determine who gets a permit for a concealed weapon.

The City Council voted 3 to 2 Tuesday to place a proposed amendment to the city’s charter on the March, 1995, ballot. Councilmen Stevan Colin and Robert Pinzler voted against the measure.

Councilman Joseph Dawidziak said the vote will encourage public discussion about public safety and will show politicians what people may do if they don’t feel safe in their neighborhoods.

“It’s such an emotional issue that putting an advisory measure on the ballot is going to send a clear message to public officials,” Dawidziak said.

Residents concerned about rising crime in Southern California asked the council to allow anyone from Redondo Beach who wants a permit to have one, with some exceptions.

Police Chief Melvin Nichols has issued only six permits, all to people who live outside the city but work in Redondo, Dawidziak said.

The issue of concealed weapon permits has been under review for several months by a charter review committee that has been considering various changes to the city charter. In August, the committee voted against liberalizing the rules regarding the permits.

In a report to the committee, City Atty. Jerry Goddard concluded that state law prohibits city charters from changing a police chief’s power to issue concealed weapon permits. Dawidziak said he thinks that there is some room to challenge those laws but has concluded that the council should not spend the money to do it.

“I am not willing to get into some protracted legal battle over this,” Dawidziak said.