Where Do Used Police Guns Go?

Sunday Solutions — Oct. 22, 2023

Government practice and policy starts locally — constituents wield power with their votes, fueled by knowledge of how things work. Today’s collection reminds us that, over time, it’s important to understand the process. Every vote and voice matter when it comes to influencing what happens and how it happens. As you read, consider your role.

---

A more open McIntosh

Around 30 civically engaged residents of McIntosh County showed up for the county commissioner’s October meeting last Wednesday — which took place in a new location — the Darien City Hall. The move came after our newsroom spearheaded complaints to the Georgia Attorney General’s office and forced a move out of the courthouse, where the sheriff banned all digital or recorded documentation of the meetings by citizens — an apparent violation of state law.

As we have previously reported, McIntosh officials banned the public from bringing electronic recording devices to public meetings, while also implementing a commercial relationship with the local telecom company that would force members of the public to pay for access to the deliberations of their elected officials. County officials have claimed that those decisions were due to security reasons, but Georgia state law about public meetings makes both of those decisions circumspect.

What’s more, those decisions by county officials have added to already high levels of public distrust of local government, especially in regards to the ongoing controversy about the future of Sapelo Island’s historically Black community of Hogg Hummock.  While short, Thursday’s meeting furthered the distrust. The “special, called meeting” to replace the regular October meeting, was only publicly noticed 24 hours earlier, therefore making it impossible for citizens to sign up to comment on the specific agenda item regarding the management of the newly renovated Sapelo community center building. Commenters must sign up one week in advance of a meeting, according to the commission’s posted agenda rules. The notice timing did fall under the guidelines of state law, but some attendees felt the small window for planning was designed to keep public scrutiny to a minimum.

Residents and descendants of the Sapelo community founded by emancipated people after the Civil War worry that the majority white county government is threatening the unique character of the settlement. They point to lengthy legal battles against the county that they have fought — and won — to achieve equal services long denied to them. The animus from those legal challenges have soured opinions about decisions to rezone Hogg Hummock, which have happened quickly without robust public discussion despite the impact that it will have on the Black property owners.

Building trust in government and holding officials accountable are why public meetings laws are treasured in Georgia. And it’s also why it is worthwhile noting that McIntosh commissioners have changed their procedures and have held their last meeting at a location where the public has a transparent way to interact with their elected leaders, record the meeting and ask questions. Now, we are watching and waiting to see if this change is permanent, or simply a reaction to public pressure now that the Sapelo issue has reached national media. (The state attorney general’s office has yet to rule on whether McIntosh should be fined for past behavior.) 

Want to learn more about how your local government conducts meetings, holds public comment or provides answers to citizens? Visit our Action Item page where we collect Coastal Georgia meeting times and agendas in one centralized location. If you have a tip on how your local officials are acting above the law, or in violation of the law, drop us a line. We want to help shine a light on such practices.

---

500 guns. Where do they go next?

Last week, The Current’s Jake Shore wrote about the City of Savannah’s new contract with Clyde Armory to replace 500 guns for police officers. The story gave insight into the wholesale firearms trade and how guns — in this case, handguns — go back into the marketplace after years of use by officers. A visit to Clyde Armory in Middle Georgia’s Warner Robins turned up firearms trade-ins from an Oklahoma police department for sale. What will happen to the Savannah guns traded in for new ones? Will they be back on the street? No one knows because it’s not a part of the city’s contract, and Clyde won’t respond to the question. Gun buyers can do what they want with them. Will the Georgia guns go to Oklahoma consumers? In recent research by Pew, 60% of Americans said that gun violence is a major problem. Nearly the same percentage said it’s too easy to obtain a gun. Several things are at play here: open state gun laws, little research on where guns go after an initial sale, and Georgia laws that forbid destruction of seized firearms by cities, which often just sell them at auction. None of these points has easy solutions, but there may be a few through local and federal legislation — like closing loopholes for buyers and easier traces and destruction for guns used in crimes. We’ll likely never know exactly where those guns go — there are myriad blocks to get that information, and The Trace, which follows gun policy in the U.S., explains why in this story. And yes, for inquiring minds, Clyde Armory is run by U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, who represents parts of North Georgia.

---

The Quiz: How did you do?

Last week’s quiz was especially competitive, with just five players making it onto the leaderboard. Want your chance to be featured in next week’s leaderboard? Leave a first name or nickname so we can keep track of your score. Here’s your quiz for the week.

Congratulations to Savannah Agenda for being in first place two weeks in a row! (Who’s behind that? We suspect Savannah Agenda proprietor Eric Curl, who’s got zoning and development news flowing at this link. We’re watching to see if Peaches can take him out next week…)

Leaderboard 10/15:
First Place (10/10) – Savannah Agenda, Peaches
Second Place (7/10) – Andrew
Third Place (5/10) – Mike124, – tom –

---

State Medicaid plan still struggling

As health insurance open enrollment season arrives for many of us, it’s not available to others. The state announced a limited expansion of Medicaid in 2020 and opened it this July. It included a controversial work requirement for some. The plan has attracted around 1,300 clients out of the more than 370,000 the state said would be eligible. Georgia, one of 11 states that haven’t expanded Medicaid coverage, has the second highest rate or uninsured citizens at 19.2% or 1.4 million people. So far, the state has spent $20 million to launch the program and has budgeted another $118 million for this year. Here’s an update on Georgia’s plan from Jill Nolin at Georgia Recorder.

---

From the week

• Civil rights attorney condemns death of man at Camden County police stop As fallout continues from the shooting death after a traffic stop on I-95, we learn more about the victim who was exonerated and released from jail after 16 years.
• Gaming interests ready new legalized gambling push for legislature The legislative session doesn’t open until January but gambling proponents and opponents are lining up people and cash for the battle over online betting and other types of wagering.
• Georgia settles suit, agrees to pay for gender-affirming care for trans workers under state health plan In a negotiated settlement, the state will pay for care that’s been denied to transgender insurance clients but provided to others.

---

Podcast series takes on unsolved murder

An unsolved Savannah murder from 2002 is now the focus of a podcast series, “Juror 13,” hosted by Tom Mullady, a former New York detective. Family members are counting on listeners to help solve the killing of Randy Stevens, who worked as a mechanic for the city of Savannah and ran a team on the PRO-MOD motorcycle racing circuit. Stevens, 42, was killed in what appeared to be robbery, and evidence now shows deeper connections and motives in what may have been something much more. CrimeStoppers for Chatham County is offering up to $80,000 for information that might lead to the conviction in Stevens’ death. Two parts of the series are online at this link.

---

Your second cup: Hunter or gatherer?

A new article in Scientific American says the stereotype of early man as hunter and woman as gatherer needs to be buried. It turns out that science and archaeological finds show women have been hunters all along, but cultural cues and scientists who ignored evidence washed over the actual findings. Expert research on athletic performance, body chemistry and ethnography is rewriting our common stereotypes. Here’s a look at the evidence and the conclusions that, like most good historical research, can take a black and white view into a more realistic gray area.

Enjoy.

---

---

Support independent, solutions-based investigative journalism without bias, fear or favor on issues affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia.