Guns Allowed On Sioux Falls City Property

Newsroom - 07/11/2012

By Kealey Bultena

As of Wednesday, people in Sioux Falls are allowed to carry guns on city property. A 1997 executive order banned people from bringing firearms into city buildings, parks, and other facilities. Mayor Mike Huether issued a new order overriding the restriction.

Sioux Falls’ city attorney says an order preventing anyone from carrying guns on city-owned property doesn’t fit with state law. Mayor Mike Huether says authorities couldn’t even enforce the rule, so he revised it with an executive order.   

"We changed it back to the premise that, if you are a city employee, you cannot carry a firearm on city property," Huether says. "That’s something we do have the power, the authority to enforce, and we will."

The mayor says he also supports firearm restrictions at places like the new events center and the Washington Pavilion. Those bans are legal because the city contracts outside companies to operate some facilities.

Huether emphasizes that people are now allowed to bring guns on city property, but that doesn’t mean they should. He and Chief of Police Doug Barthel say people who encounter situations in which they don’t feel safe shouldn’t reach for a firearm; they should call authorities for help.

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