City of Conway may become latest municipality to implement limitation on open carry

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) - City leaders in Conway are considering placing limitations on when and where people can open carry within city limits.

Conway Police Chief Dale Long spoke to city council members about restricting open carry during public events and in city government buildings.

“It’s not everywhere you go in the city. It’s not everywhere you go walking down the streets, the city streets on a normal day. But it’s only under these very narrow circumstances, that we say we believe as a city, that we just want to curtail the potential for gun violence. With these limited exceptions, we want to have a little more limitations on it,” Chief Long said.

Members of the council will look at the proposal during their next meeting on November 15. Councilmember Will Goldfinch said even as a gun owner he’s on board with the limitations.

He said despite the state law, city governments have the responsibility and right to keep their residents safe.

Long said there are already restrictions for open carry at schools and at the county courthouse, which is why he thinks it should also apply to city government buildings as well.

“If you’re looking at the city courthouse, and the other city government building and there’s a lot that’s happening in there like zoning and code enforcement and other issues where sometimes there’s controversy about it,” Long added.

Goldfinch said he’s in support of it because he believes it’ll make it easier for law enforcement to do their jobs, as it’s a preventive measure.

“We would support them putting a ban on this when there’s a special event taking place, just to make their jobs as law enforcement a little easier,” Goldfinch said.

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