Comments

• On the article Chesnut Charter Hosts Gun Safety Discussion

  Matt Podowitz

  1:25 pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2013

  Correction: the full title of the presentation is "Why and How to Talk With Your Children About Guns (Even If You Don't Own Guns)".

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• On the article City Council to Meet Monday

  Matt Podowitz

  3:47 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012

  From the posted information about the alarm ordinance update, it looks like the city is *once again* failing to differentiate between a system-initiated alarm signal (for example, a motion sensor or glass-break detector going off) and a human-initiated emergency signal (for example, a duress/hostage code or a two-button panic alarm being entered by a person at the keypad). Writing the ordinance such that there would be no response to a human-initiated emergency signal is unprecedented from the various ordinances I have researched and a recipe for disaster -- both in terms of Dunwoody residents' safety and potential financial liability for the city.

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• On the article Man Collared for Carrying a Loaded Concealed Weapon

  Matt Podowitz

  3:53 pm on Monday, October 15, 2012

  Jason, thank you for your response. I have no affiliation with the website providing the information at the link other than as a visitor, rather, I believe it to be credible and recommended it as being of potential interest to you. As for the arrest discussed in your article (and at risk of sounding pedantic), I will gently point out that the fact an individual carrying a concealed weapon was not in itself a crime. Rather, the acts of carrying a concealed weapon without a valid Georgia Weapons Carry License, possession of a firearm by an ineligible individual (if this was in fact the case) and possession of stolen property were crimes. Thank you again for your response and for considering the information I conveyed previously.

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• On the article Man Collared for Carrying a Loaded Concealed Weapon

  Matt Podowitz

  10:49 am on Monday, October 15, 2012

  This was a good catch by DPD.

  However, Jason -- you have a tendency to insinuate in articles involving an individual being seen or found with a firearm that the mere possession of a firearm (concealed or not, loaded or not) is a crime. This simply is not the case, nor does the mere possession of a firearm constitute reasonable articulable suspicion of a crime or probable cause for detention or arrest. Individuals who are not ineligible to possess a firearm under Federal or Georgia law (such as convicted felons, individuals convicted of certain misdemeanor drug or domestic violence crimes and individuals who have been committed to mental health institutions at any point) may have a loaded handgun on their person at home or their place of business or in their motor vehicle without a Georgia Weapons Carry License (GWCL). Individuals who hold a GWCL, active duty military, and law enforcement officers may have a loaded handgun on their person in any location not prohibited specifically by state law. Permitted locations include on the street, in parks, in others' places of business, and many others.

  If you would like a layman's overview of current Georgia firearms law, please visit www.georgiapacking.org and click on the Gun Laws button at the top of the page. If you would like to speak with an attorney to get a more detailed understanding, I would be happy to introduce you to several well-qualified ones who would be happy to speak with you.

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• On the article Dunwoody Readies a Crackdown on False Alarms

  Matt Podowitz

  11:09 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012

  I have three concerns regarding this proposed ordinance. First, the aforementioned provision that has officers not responding to households that have had false alarms. Second is that the permitting process and associated fines may discourage homeowners and renters from installing alarms and (more importantly) keeping their alarms armed regularly, especially when at home. Finally, the requirement that all alarm panels comply with a given standard may cause undue burden on homeowners as they are required to replace older alarm panels (and potentially related equipment such as keypads and sensors). There is no question that false alarms are a nuisance, however, regulating them in a way that decreases their frequency of installation or their use cannot serve the public interest.

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• On the article Five Things To Do this weekend

  Matt Podowitz

  1:23 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012

  And let's not forget the Refuse To Be A Victim(R) crime-prevention seminar on Sunday, March 25th from 1PM to 5PM! http://dunwoody.patch.com/events/refuse-to-be-a-victimr-crime-prevention-seminar

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