Montana News

Montana sheriffs and peace officers issue statement on gun legislation

Posted: Feb 11, 2013 8:44 PM by Melissa Anderson - MTN News
Updated: Feb 11, 2013 8:44 PM

The Montana Sheriff's & Peace Officer's Association board has come up with a unified stance in regards to gun legislation.

The sheriffs met last week in Helena and endorsed a letter upholding citizens' constitutional right to bear arms.

In the letter, it states they don't believe that the recent mass shootings are the fault of the weapons used, but often mentally disturbed individuals who wielded them.

Chouteau County Sheriff Vern Burdick, the MSPOA president, said, "These tragedies that have taken place in the United States are not committed by legal gun owners. They are committed by folks that have very serious issues mentally and I feel that if we address those mental issues we could diminish the amount of these events that take place in the United States."

The letter also states: "The MSPOA will not waver in our defense of the Constitution and will stand to preserve our constituents right to possess firearms and the protections insured by the other nine amendments contained in the Bill of Rights."