What Nearby Communities Are Doing on Assault Weapons

The Clarendon Hills Village Board is scheduled to debate a ban on assault weapons on Monday, and they are not alone among Chicago-area communities in considering adopting such a law. 

According to the Chicago Tribune, the new concealed-carry law gives municipalities 10 days to vote on assault-weapons legislation, leading to a scramble in several villages, towns and cities to pass or reject such laws.

Oak Brook trustees rejected a local ban on Tuesday, saying that they were unsure if they had the authority as a non-home-rule community, and that they didn’t have any interest in it anyway, the Doings Oak Brook reports.

“When something horrific happens there’s a tendency to want to do something. I understand that, but an assault ban would have little to no effect on the safety of our citizens,” the paper quoted Oak Brook Police Chief James Kruger saying.

Western Springs trustees also nixed the idea, saying it was a moot point given that Cook County has its own assault-weapons ban.

On the other hand, the Tribune said, assault-weapons restrictions were adopted in Highland Park and Melrose Park. 

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed a ban on the weapons in the City as well, the Tribune said, saying that “these dangerous weapons can wreak havoc in a matter of minutes… They have no place in our city, and we'll do whatever is necessary to make sure we have a strong law in place."