New England Ballistic Services provides firearm storage for police departments free of charge.
In 1998, Massachusetts passed Chapter 180 of the Acts of 1998, significantly transforming gun control laws. The statute changed the way police departments enforce laws as they relate to private gun ownership.
Part of this sweeping legislation was adopted as MGL Chapter 140, Section 129D. This section provided the legal framework for “bonded warehouses for firearms storage”. Police departments are now allowed to use commercial businesses to store confiscated civilian-owned firearms.
Since the adoption of the law, local police stations have become a repository for privately-owned firearms removed from their owners’ possession for a number of reasons:
- Restraining orders
- Revocation or suspension of license
- No license/inability to obtain a license
- Voluntary surrender for storage by owner or “safekeeping”
Storing these confiscated firearms and accessories has created problems for financially-stressed police departments:
- Man-hours wasted to managing, tracking, and organizing property not owned by police, and which diverts personnel away from actual public safety and law enforcement issues.
- Liability for loss or damage to expensive personal property.
- The storing of dangerous weapons may result in serious injury to personnel.
- The transportation expenses of bringing firearms and accessories to facilities where they can be disposed of or destroyed results in manpower and vehicle expenses which again divert resources away from crime-fighting and traditional public safety activities.
New England Ballistic Services provides solutions designed specifically with police departments in mind. We can provide firearm storage to police departments and other law enforcement agencies free of charge.
