Gun Registry Bill Clears Prince George's Council

The Prince George's County Council unanimously approved a bill Tuesday that will require residents convicted of gun crimes to be placed on a special registry and submit to random visits by police.

County Executive Rushern Baker has said he plans to sign the legislation, which will take effect at the end of July.

The bill is aimed at improving safety on county streets, where police say a high number of people are illegally carrying firearms. Last year, 64 people were fatally shot in the county and hundreds more wounded.

“At the end of the day, what this county is going to see is a reduction in crime,” Barry L. Stanton, the county's deputy chief administrative officer for public safety, told the Washington Post.

Opponents of the bill—including Prince George's NAACP head Bob Ross, who spoke during Tuesday's brief public hearing—have argued that the registry is unconstitutional.

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