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Richfield pushes gun-policy changes, training funding and data protections in legislative priorities
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Summary
Public safety staff urged state action on ghost guns, high-capacity magazines, stricter penalties for illegal possession, changes to the IRPO statute and restored training funds; council discussed supporting general safe-storage language and asked for a quick-notification process before the mayor signs timed advocacy letters.
Jay Hawthorne, Richfield's director of public safety, presented a suite of proposed legislative changes at the Nov. 25 work session aimed at reducing violent crime and improving officer training and safety.
Hawthorne urged considering bans or limits on ghost guns, binary triggers and high-capacity magazines, and asked the legislature to increase penalties for illegal firearm possession in many cases from a gross misdemeanor to a felony. He also asked for statutory changes to address the Extreme Risk Protection Order (IRPO) law so that departments are not required to pay fair-market value when large numbers of surrendered weapons are involved and to allow temporary seizure of firearms when an IRPO is filed and signed. Hawthorne said the city is seeking to restore and stabilize post-mandated training fund allocations that have been reduced and to secure additional funding for violent-crime enforcement teams.
Council discussed whether the mayor could sign letters from outside groups, such as Moms Demand Action, and whether the city should adopt a narrowly worded position on individual bills or a broader statement supporting safe-storage and other common-sense measures. Councilors supported a general safe-storage position in principle but requested staff vet bill details before endorsing specific legislation and proposed a quick-notice procedure so councilors can flag objections when the mayor is asked to sign time-sensitive advocacy letters.
The council also debated automated traffic-enforcement cameras as part of the public-safety platform. Supporters said pilots reduce speeding and roadside stops; members raised data-privacy and due-process concerns (owner vs. driver liability) and asked staff to ensure any state statute includes rigorous privacy protections. The council signaled consensus to include traffic-camera authority in the platform but affirmed that local deployment would remain discretionary.
Next steps: staff will refine legislative language, coordinate with the city's lobbyist, and provide council timely notices when time-sensitive sign-ons are requested.
