Robert Contee III, the chief of D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, said on Monday that he will reach out to Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) after she said she intended to carry a handgun in the district.
Contee said during a press conference that he wanted to ensure Boebert “is aware of the what the laws of the District of Columbia are,” according to Politico.
“That congresswoman will be subjected to the same penalties as anyone else that’s caught on the D.C. streets carrying a firearm,” Contee said.
The Colorado representative made it clear in November after winning her race that she planned on carrying her gun while in D.C. Regulations dating back to 1967 prohibit federal or D.C. laws from stopping a member of Congress from having a handgun in their office but the gun must be unloaded and securely wrapped.
In the District of Columbia, a license is required to carry a firearm and open carry is prohibited. A person who holds valid registration may carry a firearm in their home, in a recreational setting, at their own place of business and while it is being transported for “a lawful purpose.”
Though lawmakers are allowed to carry guns on Capitol Hill, which is governed by federal law, members of the public are not. A group of Democratic lawmakers stated in December that they would move to block lawmakers from carrying guns in the Capitol, arguing that the exemption posed a safety risk as Capitol Police are unaware who is or isn’t carrying a firearm.
Boebert on Sunday posted a video on Twitter explaining her decision to carry a gun in the Capitol.
“Even though I now work in one of the most liberal cities in America, I refuse to give up my rights, especially my Second Amendment rights,” said Boebert.
Her remarks were sharply criticized by Brian Lemek, executive director of the anti-gun violence group Brady PAC, in a statement.
“Lauren Boebert does not belong in Congress and it’s not because of her ignorance or inexperience, it’s because people who pick and choose which laws apply to them shouldn’t be in the business of writing them,” said Lemek in an emailed statement to The Hill.
“Having worked with Republicans and Democrats on this issue for many years, one thing about Boebert is clear: it’s not only the Glock 9mm that’s strapped to her hip as she walks the DC streets that makes her dangerous, (and despite her rhetoric, more safe), it’s her complete disregard for public safety and the real issues that affect her district,” Lemek continued.
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