In a city where hardly anyone has a concealed-carry permit, and with not a single remaining gun store inside city limits, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has decided that the logical next step is disarming the police. In response to controversy over the shooting of a knife-wielding young man earlier this month, Lee has announced that he wants officers to carry stun guns instead of firearms. “I told the commission that I want this done immediately,” Lee said.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Police Chief Greg Suhr apparently supports the mayor’s idea and is looking into other measures, such as shields for officers and procedures for drawing guns more slowly. Why these men are willing to risk the lives of police in order to avoid criticism is beyond our understanding. The response by Police Officers Association President Martin Halloran was succinct: “I do not want to see any of my members hesitate to draw their firearm in a situation where it is necessary.”
