Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, an outspoken proponent of gun owners rights, recently defended to the County Council his agency's policy of confiscating guns in some situations.
As part of the department's recent changes to policies regarding victims of domestic violence, Gahler said it's appropriate for guns to be seized, at least temporarily, not only to protect victims, but also to prevent the escalation of violence in some cases.
"I think everyone in the room knows I am a strong proponent of the Second Amendment," Gahler said, noting the property owner is entitled to get his or her weapon back if found not guilty.
The sheriff explained during an appearance before the council June 16 , that his agency is making changes by pushing to better document cases of domestic violence while also removing firearms from homes where such violence is suspected.
County Councilman Mike Perrone asked about the department's firearms policy, which lets police confiscate a weapon, at least temporarily, if deputies learn of a firearm in the home where a domestic violence incident is reported.
Perrone said he is concerned that taking the weapon away would limit a victim's access to self-defense. But Gahler said he could not recall a case in his three decades in law enforcement in which that was a problem.
On the contrary, Gahler said, he knew of countless incidents where a firearm in the home led to death or serious injury in a domestic violence case.
Regarding the changes to the agency's approach on handling domestic violence cases, Gahler said he had determined the Sheriff's Office's policies for dealing with domestic violence complaints were too vague and the agency was "significantly underperforming" its service to the community and the victims of such cases.
He said other law enforcement agencies have identified homes where police are frequently called for domestic violence issues so they can intervene before the issues rise to a criminal level.
The new policies were released this month and the Sheriff's Office began roll-call training for deputies regarding response to domestic incidents, Gahler said.
The department will make an arrest, if there is evidence of injury, and follow up with detailed reports on all domestic violence incidents that are reported, regardless of whether victims press charges, he said.
"That is adhering to Maryland law," he said.
Gahler, who took office last December, first announced the office's new policies during a media briefing earlier in June.
"If we can help address these issues and negate the need to respond to a particular address, that better serves the community," he told the council members during their most recent legislative session on June 16.
Deputies have written 100 percent more reports since the new initiatives, which "absolutely" does not mean the county has had a 132 percent increase in domestic violence, Gahler explained.
"Is Harford County a horrible place for incidents of domestic violence? No more so than any other community," he said. "Now that we have a better picture of what is happening in Harford County, we can work to bring those numbers down."