Your House and Your Guns

Matt Welch | September 8, 2005

New Orleans is now forcibly evacuating residents who don't want to leave, and taking their guns to boot.

No civilians in New Orleans will be allowed to carry pistols, shotguns, or other firearms of any kind, said P. Edwin Compass, the superintendent of police. "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons," he said.

But that order apparently does not apply to the hundreds of security guards whom businesses and some wealthy individuals have hired to protect their property. The guards, who are civilians working for private security firms like Blackwater, are openly carrying M-16's and other assault rifles. Mr. Compass said he was aware of the private guards but that the police had no plans to make them give up their weapons.

If I lived in a dry neighborhood with plenty of provisions and property to protect, this might annoy me. Also, from the Dept. of What-a-Surprise, last night on CNN I saw a report where local cops were wary about enforcing the forcible removal, but some shipped-in California Highway Patrolmen embraced the order with gusto.

Story here; link via the Volokh Conspiracy.