LAKELAND, Fla. (WTSP) -- Should law enforcement be able to keep tabs on who owns which guns? One Polk County school board member thinks so.
Right now, if you buy an AR-15, you don't have to tell anyone. Polk County School Board member Billy Townsend wants to change that. He’s calling for a registry for AR-15s.
“We don't know who's got what,” Townsend said. “I don't want to know, but I want my law enforcement to know.”
Essentially what he's proposing is treating certain types of guns like cars. If you have one, you'd have to register it.
“I'm not interested in banning things. I'm interested in regulating them and putting some responsibility back into it,” he explained.
Townsend proposed the idea to Sheriff Grady Judd at a school board meeting Tuesday. In a testy exchange, Judd pointed out that it's not possible.
Attorney Tony Dodds explained a gun registry is against state law. In part, the law bars it because it "can become an instrument for profiling, harassing, or abusing law-abiding citizens."
“They could be targeted and looked at differently by law enforcement simply because they're on that list,” Dodds said.
Another question gun owners have is: Why should the government have access to that kind of information?
“I think the government knows too much about us as it is. I mean, we're entitled to our right to privacy,” gun owner Chuck Edwards said.
Townsend said it's just an idea, but he thinks it could reduce gun violence. Opponents said registering guns like cars is a slippery slope that they're not willing to drive down.
Townsend said he wants to work with Judd to change the state law. Judd hasn't expressed any interest and declined 10News’ request to talk to him about it.
