Riverside council hears police, law director warn against city-run voluntary gun storage program

At its Feb. 18 meeting, the Riverside City Council heard from Police Chief Josh Robinson and the city law director about a proposed voluntary gun storage program for residents who want police to hold firearms temporarily.

The chief said the department has reviewed the program and ran practical tests of evidence-room capacity and handling. “We cannot fire that weapon,” Robinson told council, describing a limitation he said comes from federal guidance and the department’s evidence policy. He and staff said the department’s property room is small — a 6-by-9-foot caged area with about 17 handgun boxes and 29 long-gun boxes currently in evidence — and that storing privately surrendered firearms for months raises questions about safe storage, insurance, evidence integrity and the risk that weapons tied to possible crimes could be unavailable for forensic testing.

The city law director told council his role is to assess legal exposure. He warned the program could create new liability risks that do not clearly fall within protections in Chapter 2744 of the Ohio Revised Code, and that returning weapons to people who have self-reported mental-health concerns may expose the city to defense costs even if immunity ultimately applies. “There is a defense cost to defending them in a situation where we know that an individual may be suffering and submits a weapon voluntarily,” the law director said.

Council members discussed the program’s intent — reducing the likelihood of accidental or self-inflicted injuries in homes — but several members and staff highlighted practical barriers. Robinson cited an instance in which a court-ordered return of a weapon preceded a subsequent self-harm incident; he said the department will return weapons when ordered by a court but wants caution for voluntary storage without court involvement. The chief also described the department’s limited ability to test firearms (to check whether a weapon has been used in a crime) while in evidence custody and said the ATF/forensic process for ballistic testing limits how the city could safely handle long-term voluntary storage.

Council and staff emphasized alternatives to a city-run storage program for people worried about a household firearm. The city manager and staff described crisis-response options and community resources — including the 988 crisis line and local crisis response teams — that can help move a person into a clinical or judicial pathway that could lawfully restrict firearm access. Several council members said those systems are not perfect but noted they are the existing legal mechanisms for involuntary holds and court oversight.

No formal ordinance or resolution establishing a city-run voluntary storage program was adopted at the meeting. Chief Robinson and the law director said they would implement the council’s direction if council votes to require the program, but in their professional judgment they do not recommend the city adopt it without clearer statutory protections, additional resources and written procedures coordinated with courts and forensic partners.

Ending: Council members asked staff to continue outreach and to clarify whether any regional partners operate a similar program and how they handle evidence, testing and liability. The manager and law director said they will report back if council wishes to pursue legislative changes or a different local approach.