Ruidoso moves to ban all firearms from its buildings

NewsNM - Swickard: So are we to assume that the Village of Ruidoso accepts all liability if someone is injured because they could not protect themselves? From the Ruidoso News.com - A new sign posted on the entry door to Ruidoso Village Hall bans all firearms in village buildings by order of the mayor. The only exception is certified law enforcement officers. Mayor Ray Alborn said today it's his job to protect the six councilors sitting at the council table and people in the audience. After an incident last month when the police chief disarmed a member of the public who was coming to the podium to speak to the council, the notice is timely. In a typed statement taped next to the notice, Alborn wrote that in his capacity as mayor and under authority granted to him by New Mexico State Statutes, 1978, 3-11-4 and 30-14-4, he issued the order banning firearms from all public property, except by certified law enforcement officers. Under Section 30-14-4, wrongful use of public property consists in part of, "Any person occupying or using public property under the authority of a permit shall submit to a search for firearms or other weapons and surrender any firearms or other weapons to any peace officer, who has jurisdiction, upon request." "As used in this section, 'public property' means any public building, facility, structure or enclosure used for a public purpose or as a place of public gathering, owned or under the control of the state or one of its political subdivisions or a religious, charitable, educational or recreational association." Read more