Under Hawaii’s “sensitive places” law, all government buildings are “gun-free zones,” at least in theory. Like most supposedly sensitive places, though, many of those locations feature no special security measures; no magnetometers, no armed guards, and no secured entrances. They’re sensitive in name only, and their “gun-free” status essentially depends on an honor code.
The inability of these Sensitive In Name Only locations to keep people safe and secure was on full display recently in Maui, where a man stands accused of brandishing a pistol at county employees in a planning office in Wailuku a few weeks ago. According to the Honolulu Civil Beat, a police assessment of the incident determined that the man “would have had time to shoot and kill numerous people in the hour and a half it took for county officials to notify police,” and noted the lack of any dedicated security in the privately-owned building and county-run office.
The review, and a letter from Maui Police Chief John Pelletier to Mayor Richard Bissen and other officials, say the incident exposed alarming gaps in the county’s security protocols that urgently need to be fixed, according to documents obtained by Civil Beat through a public records request.
Pelletier said there had been other security-related incidents in which “public safety issues brought forth by law enforcement are delayed, disregarded, or overshadowed by competing political priorities.” He had been trying for more than a year and a half to get the city to step up its security.
“While policy disagreements are expected in government, the failure to address known public safety concerns can have significant consequences for the community, first responders, and victims of crime,” he wrote.
The individual arrested and charged is now believed to have been carrying a BB pistol, not an actual firearm, but that doesn’t change the fact that he could just as easily have had a loaded gun when he walked into the office, given the lack of security.
Presumably, if that had been the case and the man pulled the trigger and started shooting, police would have been notified in less than 90 minutes. Still, the fact remains that this office is off-limits to lawful carry, but the only thing preventing individuals intent on violence from bringing a gun inside is the possibility of facing criminal charges if they’re caught.
Someone willing to commit felony murder isn’t going to be too concerned about a misdemeanor charge of carrying in a sensitive location. Government employees and lawful gun owners who just want to protect themselves, on the other hand, are far more likely to abide by the “gun-free” mandate, even though it puts them at risk of harm.
According to the Civil Beat’s reporting, Maui County commissioners have rejected steps to increase security, including metal detectors. In fact, a budget ordinance adopted in early June explicitly states that funds “may not be used for a security screening station” at the main county building.
The Civil Beat notes that the county did approve hiring security guards, but doesn’t say whether those guards will be armed or not. Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee told Civil Beat the county currently has just one security guard, and while others may soon be hired for the main county building, there are other offices that will remain unprotected.
The state of Hawaii and Maui County may call these government offices “sensitive”, but they certainly don’t treat them as such. If the county isn’t doing anything to protect visitors and staff, then they deserve to be able to protect themselves by exercising their Second Amendment right to bear arms in self-defense.
Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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