Northgate Chrysler Dodge Jeep (Cincinnati area)

[Shutterbug57]

I have a jeep that I purchased from Northgate Chrysler Dodge Jeep in 2012. I have been to the dealership a few times since purchasing the jeep for oil filters and other misc. parts. I was in the service area last Thursday and noted that they have put up gun-buster signs on all the doors. Previously, I had not seen a gun-buster sign on any of their doors. So, I fired off the following e-mail to the general manager.

Dear Mr. DuBose:

Back in July of 2012, I purchased my Jeep Grand Cherokee from Northgate Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep. I have been delighted with both my truck and the service I have received from your dealership. The last time I was in service was Thursday of this week. Prior to that, it had been some time since I had been in the dealership.

After checking my vehicle in and on the way to the waiting room, I noted that your dealership has chosen to put up signs prohibiting law abiding and licensed individuals from carrying firearms in your dealership. This was new and caught me off guard. I did not notice the sign on the entry to the service writer area because one of your staff held the door open for me. I must admit, this policy change puzzles me.

Dealership management has chosen to post the premises as a no-gun zone. That is clearly within the rights of management to do, but it makes little sense to me. What those signs do is keep law abiding and licensed individuals from having the means to protect themselves from the time they leave their home until they return home, not just at your dealership. It would not only be irresponsible to leave an unattended firearm in my truck, it would turn your mechanic into a criminal when they get in the truck unless they are licensed to carry a concealed handgun.

Further, the signs will have no, zero, impact on criminals. While it would be illegal for criminals to carry a gun into your dealership because of the signs, they will ignore the signs and carry anyway. Criminals, by definition, do not obey the law. In fact, criminals are not legally allowed to have a gun in the first place, so the efficacy of your signs on the criminal element is, at best, doubtful. Further the signs will not jump off the doors and stop the criminal from doing what he is going to do.

The effect of posting the dealership is to keep legally-licensed and trained persons from having the ability to protect themselves in the unfortunate event that the need arises while putting criminals on notice that they will not face resistance should they decide to commit their crimes at the dealership. Further, dealership management will call the police and someone with a gun will show up to deal with the problem after several minutes and, possibly, much havoc.

If you look at mass murders over the last 20 years, that is incidents where 4 or more people have been murdered in a public location, the vast majority were in gun-free zones. While many of these shootings have happened in schools, the Colorado movie shooting is a case that points out the futility of gun-free zones in commercial establishments. To get to the theater where the shooting took place, a theater that was posted as a gun-free zone, the shooter had to pass by 5 other theaters that were not posted. He understood that he may face resistance at those other theaters and he chose to go where he could work unimpeded until the police showed up.

Licensed concealed carriers are trained and screened at both the local and federal level to ensure that they are upstanding, stable and law abiding individuals. Statistically, licensed concealed carriers are less likely to be involved in criminal activities than even police officers. Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHLs) have been issued in Ohio since 2004. Through the third quarter of 2013, approximately 391,000 Ohioans have obtained their CHL. It was expected that this number would top 400,000 by the end of 2013. Despite dire warnings from some in 2003-2004, the streets of Ohio (or any other state that issues CHLs) are not running with blood due to actions by CHL holders. CHL holders, as it turns out, are responsible citizens interested only in going about their business and being able to go home at night.

In summary, I like my truck and your service department. I do, however, have an issue with your dealership deciding for me that my ability to carry my handgun to protect myself from the time I leave my home until I return home should be eliminated simply because I need my truck serviced. Your dealership is convenient for me and the service department is, in my opinion, well run, but your policy change leaves me with little choice but to consider my options.

Please feel free to contact me by return e-mail or at 513.XXX.XXXX. I appreciate your time and any input you may have in this matter.

Sincerely,

This morning, I got a call from the owner of the dealership. We had a cordial conversation, but we do not agree on this issue. While he proclaims to be a shooter, he does not feel that guns have any place in his business. He also stated that this has always been the policy and that "signs sometimes fall off the doors". When I asked him how his signs were going to keep criminals from bringing guns into his dealership, he responded that he simply does not want guns in his dealership. Part of his rationale is that there are frequently kids around. I guess I am looking for a new dealer to perform my service. That is too bad because his dealership is convenient and they have done good work for me. I just thought the 2A community should have this info.

[BB62]

Excellent letter.

[Shutterbug57]

Excellent letter.

Thanks. I wish it had achieved its intended purpose. Oh well...

[BB62]

Oh well.

My only suggestion is to work on (for future efforts) some sort of a comeback for the "there are children around" or "it's for the children" rationale. Maybe just discussing his concerns will make others see how empty their arguments are, and maybe not.

Surely guns are carried anywhere else that children frequent, right? How many incidents can he cite that have taken place in other non-posting dealerships?