Posted on 06/30/2016 7:29:46 AM PDT by Da Bilge Troll
ST. LOUIS (KTVI) - Gun owners headed for Busch Stadium may soon no longer have to leave their firearms in the car.
Starting in mid-July, Paddy O`s Bar next to Busch Stadium is going to allow a specially outfitted armored truck to use its overflow back parking lot to provide lawful gun owners a place to lock up any firearms they want to carry with them between the parking lots and the stadium.
It is an idea born of tragedy.
Following the shooting of Chris Sanna last year as he was leaving a Cardinals game, Justin Hulsey, a National Guard veteran from Herculaneum, had an idea; to create a mobile gun locker, sort of like a food truck, to park at events where guns are not allowed inside the venue.
Hulsey calls it Mobile Safe Storage.
He is outfitting a 22 foot-long step van with armor and security cameras and has hired security guards to surround it when it is parked in public.
Hulsey`s plan is to begin by parking it at Paddy O`s on game days, offering visitors a chance to lock up their guns, or any other valuables they either can't or don`t want to bring into the stadium or leave in their car.
He believes being able to carry a gun to the stadium will give visitors a better sense of security, while also cutting down on the number of guns getting into the hands of criminals.
'If we can just stop one firearm from being stolen out of a car and used by a criminal, we succeeded,' Hulsey said. 'This isn`t about making millions, it`s about making a difference and we are passionate about it,' he said.
It is an idea supported by former St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch.
'The real idea is so the criminals don`t know who is going to have a firearm and who is not,' Fitch said. 'They are pretty comfortable right now if they see someone leaving Busch Stadium at 10:30 at night and they have a Cardinals shirt on they are not going to be armed," he said.
Hulsey plans a soft launch on July 15 as the Cardinals start a ten-day home stand. But a spokesperson for the Mayor`s office says the company has no business license and that running a business from Paddy O`s parking lot is not allowed under the bar`s current occupancy permit, and would be, 'illegal.'
Hulsey however says he has been speaking with the city and believes the way he has set things up with the bar; he has done everything he needs to do to begin doing business legally.
Hulsey says anyone who checks a gun will have to sign a waiver which covers a lot of things including giving his company the right to refuse to return a firearm to anyone who appears to be intoxicated.
Neither the Cardinals nor the Police Department are commenting about this.
But Chris Sanna tells FOX 2 News he thinks it`s a good idea, although he also said he`s not sure having a gun would have done him much good the night he was mugged because he was shot first and then robbed.
Hulsey said the price for using Mobile Safe Storage will be $10 per item or $15 for those who pay by credit card.
Because of Ferguson, Obama, Holder and MO governor Nixon, St. Louis downtown has gotten a lot more dangerous.
We have a good candidate in MO this year — Navy Seal Eric Greitens. Rob O’Neill joined him at a rally a couple days ago.
Grampa,
It’s not nearly as stupid as being forced to walk back to your car without your gun.
Grampa, do you carry? Would you carry into the stadium, where, even in MO, where we have good gun laws, it’s prohibited? Do you carry illegally?
You can ALWAYS beat the $8.00 door guards with a little ingenuity. Only once have I turned away from a medal detector at a sports event because a SWAT and K9 team were doing the searching.....skipped the concert and went on a date with my wife.....we aren’t going ANYWHERE unarmed in Central Arkansas, even with SWAT on premises.
Sounds like a pretty good idea, if the van is close enough to the stadium and secure, and bonded. I also like the part about refusing to return a firearm to anyone who appears drunk. Drunks and guns should be parted.
I don’t remember who said it, but I think someone else had an even better idea, the stadium itself should provide a firearm lockup for patrons. I’ve been in favor of something like that for along time.
If you go to a ball game, concert or any large event, it should be standard procedure in any state with concealed carry ability to also provide a secure area for patrons to turn in guns as they go inside, and get them back when leaving. Tickets are already expensive enough, I doubt they would go broke providing this as a free service.
Then again this might turn out even better, being a private company with nothing invested in the event itself and not being a government entity.
Just don’t do it at bars. If you drink, leave your gun at home, period. I would definitely support armed security at bars, especially in today’s environment, but armed patrons is just a really bad idea.
The Guy should have one at every Trump Rally.
My concern is two fold.
1. That armored car will/could become a target.
2. Anyone leaving their guns there, could/would be a target as they leave the truck and head to the ballpark.
If you are comfortable with this alternative, good. You live there, and I don’t.
I live in California, and it is basically impossible to get a CC permit.
Actually, a cop told me that intoxication by itself does not remove your right to carry in MO as long as you comply with all other gun laws.
"the stadium itself should provide a firearm lockup for patrons"
I agree, but this is all in its infancy in MO. Down the road, if the stadium decides to provide a gun-check, who would be better to run the concession?
"Just don’t do it at bars"
As above, I believe the same rule applies to bars. I'll have to check with my cop friend.
The staff will be well armed and trained (many moonlighting police officers).
"Anyone leaving their guns there, could/would be a target as they leave the truck and head to the ballpark."
This is no worse that the walk from a parking garage (it is closer than most of the parking, in fact). Also, the area in question is a very busy area until well after games are over (the bar closes at 4am).
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