Piscataway gun ordinance would ban sales in 'sensitive' areas

PISCATAWAY - A proposed ordinance that would prohibit the retail sale of firearms or ammunition within 1,000 feet of "sensitive" locations in the township was introduced at Tuesday's Township Council meeting.

Councilman Steven Cahn, an attorney and former U.S. Marine captain, proposed the ordinance, which is considered to be the first of its kind in the state, according to a statement from the township. Under the measure, retail sales would be banned near schools, day care sites, college campuses, medical facilities, bars, parks, places of worship and similar sites.

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"Someone has to take a leadership position on a local level on these types of issues," Cahn said. "The federal government is not going to do anything. They are kicking around several pieces of legislation in Trenton and those are all great, but I don't know where they're going with it. It is now our responsibility here on the local level to do what we can within the confines of our legal responsibility as a local township government, consistent with the constitutional limitations of the Second Amendment to protect our residents. Maybe other towns will follow suit."

No businesses in the township currently sell firearms or ammunition, Cahn said.

"It's proactive," Cahn said. "It protects the town in the future should someone want to come in and put something in our town we don't want. To the best we can tell, no one in New Jersey has done this. At the very least, those who sell these weapons of war under lax federal laws should not be that close to places where children and families gather."

Cahn said the council unanimously approved the ordinance on first reading and he expects the ordinance to be adopted in June.

"This is an issue we've been talking about for several months," the councilman said. "We looked at what we could do as a municipality to ensure the best we can within the limits we have to make our community safe because no one else is doing anything. We think we've got an ordinance that entirely protects the town, but does not run afoul of what the Constitutional limitations on our authority are."

Cahn said Alameda County in California has an almost identical ordinance, and other locations in that state have very similar ordinances.

"In fact, we modeled ours after theirs because theirs has survived a court challenge," Cahn said.

“The safety of everyone, especially our children and seniors whom are the most vulnerable, is my first and foremost focus,” Ward 2 Councilman Jim Bullard said in a statement. “I believe it is crucial to step up as a community united against gun violence, particularly because this President and this Congress continue to fail our nation.”

The initiative complements the township council’s letter sent recently to state Sen. Bob Smith (D-District 17), in support of six bills before the New Jersey Senate that will help stop the tide of gun violence.

"I applaud the township for being very forward thinking," Smith said. "Every other week we turn on our televisions and we see news reports of slaughter all over the country. I think people have to rise up and demand action from their leaders. I think Piscataway is being a leader. I think they are doing the right thing."

Staff Writer Susan Loyer: 732-565-7243; sloyer@gannettnj.com