Examiner.com: US Postal Service enforces gun ban in public parking lots

[Mike]

http://www.examiner.com/x-2782-DC-Gu...c-parking-lots

SNIP

USPS spokesperson Joanne Vito told the Examiner.com that 39 CFR 232.1(l)


“applies to anyone coming into a Post Office or a Postal facility. The regulation prohibiting the possession of firearms or other weapons applies to all real property under the charge and control of the Postal Service. . . . Both open and concealed possession are prohibited, so storage of a weapon on a car parked in a lot that is under the charge and control of the Postal Service would be prohibited.”

. . .

Philip Van Cleave, President of the Virginia Citizens Defense League . . . said that the Postal Service is just “setting a trap” for the many gun owners who now carry their guns on a daily basis and may not even know about this parking lot gun ban. “Even the National Park gun ban allowed folks to store their guns in their cars,” said Van Cleave . . .

[YBNORMAL]

Setting a trap maybe, but anybody that carrys ought to know this information. Can't see any of "us" getting burned with this. Not saying we shouldnt work to get it changed though!

[4XLT]

you would think the post office would lighten up a little bit.. they have lost enough buisness with the internet.... UPS store and FedEx stores are closer to me anyway !!!

[jcabin]

The US Postal Service is being entirely unreasonable.
What are they trying to achieve by stating legal carriers can't even keep their guns locked and secured inside the vehicle while they do their business inside the building?

If someone was going to commit a gun crime inside the post office, do you think banning guns on the parking lot is going to make a difference?

Maybe the thought is, if its illegal INSIDE the building, AND in the parking lot, it will be a double whammie safety bonus and criminals will think twice?

[xdfireguy]

Gotta love it, especially seeing how most of the PO's around here are on leased property not Federal land.

[leeam]

Gotta love it, especially seeing how most of the PO's around here are on leased property not Federal land.

The one in DuBois is now in the same parking lot/building as a grocery store, hair salon, and restaurant. I don't think the PO has control over the parking lot in this case as it's shared, so I don't think this applies there. The way I read it if they were leasing a specific part of the parking lot just for PO use, then it would apply to that section.

It's still pretty dumb. They need to stop worrying about the parking lot and get one of those gun free zone signs up ASAP on the building so the criminals can't use guns inside.

[rflynn]

Now I am going to check with my UPS account to see how much more business I can take from the USPO.

[WhiteFeather]

~Snip~

However, adding further complexity to issue, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) explains here that postal customers may legally mail long guns through the USPS:

“(B7) May a nonlicensee ship a firearm through the U.S. Postal Service?
A nonlicensee may not transfer a firearm to a non-licensed resident of another State. A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. The Postal Service recommends that long guns be sent by registered mail and that no marking of any kind which would indicate the nature of the contents be placed on the outside of any parcel containing firearms. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun.” (emphasis and color in original).

So just how do you mail a firearm if you not allowed to have it on the USPO property?

Are you going to be charged for having possesion a firearm in a postal building when you mail the firearm?

Do you have to deliver a firearm by helicopter and lowered by cable to the USPO just so you don't break the regulations?

Do you have to honk the horn just off the property and give it to the post master to walk it over to be shipped? what about taking the chance that the guy goes postal with your firearm, had to throw that in

If the firearm doesn't touch the ground is it really on their property?

Here is another case of a "policy" that was created because of criminal intentions and actions to rob post offices of mail or cash. Rather than hold individuals FULLY accoutable for their actions, lets just have a blanket "policy" that makes everyone a criminal for possesion of a firearm.

[PocketProtector]

No doubt the order came from "The tOp"...

[DaveM55]

The USPS has practically no way of enforcing this policy. They have almost zero security guards to enforce it. It's just a scare tactic. They have no jurisdiction over parking lots if located in a strip mall like the one in Robinson, Pa. But the one in Greentree would fall under this policy.

I infrequently stand guard at the post office in downtown Pittsburgh. It's a contract with the Federal Protection Service. I can't carry when on duty at that post office. But I carry in the Federal building and Federal Court House.