Ridgewood Council Passes Gun Control Resolution

Joining the Ridgewood Board of Education, the village council on Wednesday voted in favor of passing a gun control resolution.

The subject of much debate since proposed in January, Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli and Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck voted in favor of passing the resolution; council members Tom Riche and Bernadette Walsh voted against the measure.

Although it was spurred in part by the Newtown, Conn. shootings, Ridgewood too has had a tragic confrontation with gun violence.

On Oc. 10, 1991, 35-year-old disgruntled ex-postal employee Joseph Harris killed a former boss and her fiance before shooting two Ridgewood postal employees hours later. He surrendered to SWAT units after a four-hour standoff.

Like the school board resolution, the council's version spoke to issues of gun accessibility and also mental health issues. It called on national, state and local community leaders to "work together" to find solutions to end gun violence.

Legally, the resolution carries no weight. State and federal gun laws trump any resolution the council passes.

Riche and Walsh have spoken against the resolution, stating it was beyond the purview of municipal government.

A copy of the resolution is attached to the article.