By Rich Larson
The Northfield Police Department is setting aside two parking stalls in its lot under dedicated video surveillance. The stalls will give residents a recorded place to hand over anything from a firearm to a child to a Facebook Marketplace purchase.
The idea came from a new state law that took effect Aug. 1. The law requires that guns be transferred as soon as reasonably practical to the person’s local law enforcement agency, a federally licensed firearms dealer or a third party who does not live with them. It applies to people ordered to give up their guns in domestic violence cases. Under the law, a transfer to a third party must take place at the local law enforcement agency. An officer from that agency must supervise it, or it must happen in a safe zone the agency provides that is under video surveillance.
Police Chief Jeff Schroepfer said he did not like the idea of officers standing by during those handoffs.
“That uncomfortable time of Rich taking out his gun and handing it over to Jeff and having an officer standing there, it’s like, that could get ugly in a hurry,” Schroepfer said.
The department chose video surveillance instead. Schroepfer said the camera will cost a couple hundred dollars, and he wanted the community to get more use out of it.
Parents will be able to use the stalls for child custody exchanges, which Schroepfer said happen often at the police department. People buying and selling online can use them too.
“If you want to sell me your Xbox and I’m not comfortable with that transaction, come to the police department,” Schroepfer said.
Schroepfer said the whole parking lot is already under video surveillance. The two marked stalls will have their own camera, zoomed in and recording. Signs are being made.
Schroepfer said some other cities already have Marketplace exchange zones. He said he combined that idea with the new state requirement.
“It’ll be everything from exchange your gun to your kids to your Xbox from Marketplace, whatever it may be,” he said.
Rich Larson is the owner and General manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
