Quartzsite council votes to remove gun lockers outside town hall after debate

The Quartzsite Common Council voted June 9 to remove the gun lockers located outside town hall after a debate among council members and public commenters.

Council members opened a discussion about the lockers during a regular meeting agenda item. Town staff told the council the town no longer enforces an ordinance requiring lockers and suggested the space could be repurposed. "Right now, we have a policy that they're useless, and the area needs to be used for something more constructive for our community," one council member said during the discussion.

Residents who spoke urged the council to keep the lockers. A resident who identified themselves as a concealed-weapons permit holder said: "If you leave the lockers, we can put [a weapon] there and lock it up. It's safe. They're gonna break into our cars and take them." Dana Tagg, a local resident, said the lockers mainly serve law-abiding citizens and that removing them would not prevent criminals from carrying weapons.

Other council members argued that the ordinance requiring lockers is no longer in effect and that if authorities wanted lockers reinstated the town would need to adopt and enforce additional requirements such as metal detectors. "If the ordinance changes where you can't carry in here, then you would need the lockers and the metal detectors," a council member said.

After public comment the council moved to remove the lockers. The vote required a roll-call recount after an initial vocal tally; following the roll call the motion carried. During the roll call the mayor voted in favor; several council members voted against removal while others voted in favor.

The decision clears the space for other town uses, which council members discussed later the same meeting, including a possible mural, kiosk or visitor map. The council did not set a specific implementation date for removing the lockers during the meeting.