PORTSMOUTH — Residents of a violent crime-tackling community are alarmed by the opening of a gun store in their neighborhood. Some are urging the city to re-evaluate the permitting process for firearms businesses.
The Brighton/Prentice Park Civic League packed a room earlier this month to discuss its concerns at a meeting that included members of city council and Portsmouth police officers. It was organized by League President Barry Randall, who wanted to clarify how Concierge Gun Sales, a gun store, got into the neighborhood.
“Of all the places you set up a gun store, why would you do it where crime is rampant throughout the community?” Randall said at a meeting at the Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office Training Academy said like this.
Brighton and Prentice Park are located in poverty-stricken areas, with high rates of urban violent crime, especially among young people. A Harvard fellow who analyzed the city’s local crime data last year said nearly 60 percent of his youth murders since 2017 occurred in his 23704 zip code, which includes two neighborhoods. I was.
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Last summer, Prentiss Park was the scene of four murders. Most recently, a man was found shot dead just two blocks from a gun store on December 31st.
Portsmouth NAACP President James Boyd said at the conference that the community needs more resources for children than gun stores.
“[We]know that our lives have been marginalized and disenfranchised when it comes to gun violence,” Boyd said. “It’s a very serious concern. Whether it’s ammunition, guns, or any other type of weapon, we don’t need it in this community.”
Concierge Gun Sales, which opened in November, is owned by Portsmouth resident Edward Kelly. This is his one of several businesses owned and operated by him and Valencia Kelly, all centered in his one building at 1820 Elm Avenue near Lincoln Street. . Other businesses at the locations they operate include AEK1 Construction Inc. and his U-Haul dealership in the neighborhood, which still requires planning commission and city council approval.
Kelly, a military veteran, said he lives in the same neighborhood as his business.
Kelly says his store operates a little differently than your average gun store, with only a few guns in stock and the rest being ordered online and shipped to the store within days. The small “living room” setting allows him to spend one-on-one time helping customers purchase firearms.
“That’s why we called it ‘Concierge Guns. Because we’re not trying to sell a lot of guns,” Kelly said. “We’re not a browsing store. You have to know what you want.”
Kelly estimates he has sold about 30 guns since opening, and says most of his customers are women and seniors seeking some form of self-defense.
The business is equipped with security cameras, and Kelly said the footage has been shared several times with police to help investigate crimes in the area.
City officials said the business was properly licensed up to the code and properly zoned. However, after the store opened, some community members suggested that the city should regulate gun store permits more tightly.
Activist and NAACP member LaKesha “Onyx” Hicks said something similar at a Citizens League meeting. She asked how this could be prevented in the future, suggesting the city is being more strategic by requiring certain businesses to always seek city council approval.
A city spokesperson said Concierge Gun Sales received zoning approval for its business license in June, allowing Kelly to sell firearms and ammunition. City Council approval was not required as it is one of the proper uses under the
“(A) At least this (city) council can prevent that from happening to the next disenfranchised community,” Randall said. “Let’s be honest about what we’re dealing with in our community.”
Mayor Shannon Glover said these concerns could lead to discussions among council members about possible policy changes in the near future. But he added that federal regulations against such businesses could also limit the council’s role.
Kelly did not attend the Civic League meeting, but Randall said he was invited.
Online databases show Kelly has had a federal firearms license since at least May. said to maintain.
Portsmouth Police Officer Allen Washington said at a conference that the project complies with city ordinances and has obtained all necessary permits to operate. I have confirmed that I have not violated any zoning ordinances.
“He has all the legal papers needed to run a firearms business in that location,” Washington said.
Police aide Na’Shayla Nelson said the department continues to “monitor” the business to ensure other businesses in the city are compliant.
