On Monday, the Cleveland, Ohio, City Council passed legislation that creates a “gun offender registry.” Similar to a sex offender registry, the ordinance requires that criminals who have used a gun in a crime be required to register with the city within five days of being released from jail or prison, or when moving to Cleveland.
Mayor Frank Jackson, a proponent of the ordinance, claims, “Law enforcement officers now have another tool to attack the problem of gun violence and make Cleveland a safer place.”
Yet Councilman Michael Polensek, who voted for the legislation, offers a differing view. “I think there are going to be some people who think that as a result of this passage, things will dramatically change in this city,” he stated. “And they are not, because the bad guys are not turning in their guns. The bad guys are not registering."
