The words “domestic violence” and “gun control” usually go together, not in Alabama where you can be pro-gun and anti-domestic violence:
A public forum on gun and domestic violence was held at the Lee County Emergency Management office in Opelika on Tuesday night, Nov. 18.
The Auburn alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sponsored the event with Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones and Lisa Stephens, director of the Domestic Violence Intervention Center (DVIC).
Jones said domestic violence is a problem, but believes public education is the key to solve it.
Alabama’s new gun law enacted in 2013 was Jones’ central topic for the forum.
“It is not a perfect law, but what law is,” Jones said.
Jones explained to the audience how the law had 10 sections that changed the way Alabama regulated firearms.
The changes the law made, according to Jones, dealt with the process a Sheriff must apply to issue concealed carry permits, removed municipalities’ power to regulate firearms other than banning a discharge of a firearm in municipality limits and allowed carrying of firearms on employers’ property in personal vehicles.
Audience members asked Jones questions during his presentation including one about what the Sheriff’s Department does with the personal information on concealed carry permits.
“I think it was in New York, (newspapers) filed an open records request and they released the names of permit holders,” Jones said. “We don’t do that, and we will not do that.”
Lt. Jason Black, of the Sheriff’s Department, pointed out the Department had processed 11,000 concealed carry permits in 2014.
Stephens spoke after Jones finished his presentation.
Although she sees a lot of gun use involved in domestic violence, Stephens said she believes people have the right to own firearms.
“My granddad taught us how to shoot firearms, but as the Sheriff said, I think if you are responsible then that makes a big difference,” Stephens said.
Firearms were used in 15% of domestic violence offenses last year in Alabama, according to Stephens.
“Just recently, I was speaking with a young lady, and her abuser had their 2-year-old child,” Stephens said. “He put the gun in the 2-year-old’s hand, and made her point the loaded weapon at her.”
Stephens added that about 2 to 3 percent of victims that came into DVIC were male.
“That number is likely much higher,” Stephens said. “Men are just less likely to disclose they’re a victim of domestic violence.”
DVIC provides victims of domestic violence a safe place to stay and helps victims draft protection orders from their abusers.
Stephens told the audience that many women stay in a bad situation because of fear.
“Unfortunately a lot of women think that, when they get to the shelter it’s going to be like the old movie you see on Lifetime where people are sleeping all over one another on cots,” Stephens said. “It’s not like that at all.”
DVIC is a nonprofit and is always willing to accept donations, according to Stephens.
Source: The Auburn Plainsman – Public forum addresses gun and domestic violence
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