Hamilton County sheriff warns Ohio bill easing firearm restrictions could endanger public safety

Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey issued a sharp warning on Friday about an Ohio bill looking to make it easier in Ohio to own gun silencers and sawed-off firearms.

The legislation, Senate Bill 214, is headed to the governor's desk. It would remove gun mufflers and suppressors, as well as short-barreled shotguns and rifles, from Ohio's "dangerous ordnance" list, meaning they would be treated as standard firearms.

Supporters say the bill protects gun owners' rights, but McGuffey says it puts the public at risk. McGuffey held a press conference denouncing the legislation, joined by members of her command staff, Ohio State Rep. Karen Brownlee and Cincinnati City Council Member Anna Albi.

WATCH: Supporters and opponents weigh in on Senate Bill 214

Hamilton County sheriff warns Ohio bill easing firearm restrictions could endanger public safety

"It makes it easier for dangerous weapons to enter the hands of the wrong people," McGuffey said.

McGuffey said the bill would allow private sellers at gun shows to sell to private buyers, making it harder to track who purchased the weapons.

"When these things are when these things are proliferated, once they take hold, they often fall into the wrong hands," she said.

McGuffey raised concerns about how easing restrictions on suppressors could affect the gunshot-detection technology law enforcement uses to solve crimes.

"It's going to be challenging for shot spotters to hear these muffled gunshots," McGuffey said. "I want you know it's my responsibility as the sheriff of Hamilton County to support policies that keep our community safe and support policies that give law enforcement officers the tools they need."

State Rep. Karen Brownlee, who represents Ohio District 28 in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, also spoke against the bill.

"Rather than requiring basic background checks or keeping guns out of the hands of children, with this bill, Republicans have yet again chosen to support the gun lobby over Ohio citizens," Brownlee said.

Supporters say the bill protects gun owners' rights. Rob Sexton, senior vice president of the Ohio-based Sportsmen's Alliance, supports the legislation and hopes DeWine signs it.

"There's simply put no reason not to treat those two items the same as any other firearm," Sexton said.

Sexton said suppressors don't change a firearm's performance beyond making it quieter and that sportsmen use them for hearing protection.

"It just doesn't make any sense to treat it like there's something special, something more lethal about a silencer or a suppressor than just a common firearm," Sexton said.

Supporters like Sexton say the bill would align Ohio law with recent federal changes. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recently announced it would no longer enforce certain requirements for owning suppressors or short-barreled firearms.

"That left Ohio and Ohioans in a situation where they're being treated differently than the rest of the country," Sexton said.

Sexton said buyers still undergo a background check and argued the old process added unnecessary burdens, including an extra tax struck down by courts, fingerprinting and a lengthy enhanced background check.

Addressing short-barreled firearms, Sexton said they are largely a matter of preference.

"I have never met a single person who's taken a saw and sawed off their own shotgun and bought one like that in a retail store. Criminals are not going through the background process," Sexton said.

Responding to McGuffey's concerns about a potential black market, Sexton said criminals do not use the legal system to acquire weapons.

"The data doesn't justify the fear that [supporters] have, and it definitely doesn't justify restricting law-abiding people," Sexton said.

We reached out to the governor's office to ask if Gov. Mike DeWine plans to sign the bill. A spokesperson said the governor has not issued a statement yet on the matter.

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