Beloit City Officials Cancel Controversial Plan To Have Police Search Homes For Guns

Beloit city officials have decided to cancel a controversial program that asked residents to volunteer to have police search their homes for guns.

Residents were told police wouldn’t enter a home until they signed a release.

But, many complained that even a voluntary search might violate their constitutional rights.

City Manager Larry Arft said the plan wasn’t vetted thorough the city’s legal department.

“There was a general perception among many in the public that the police department was going to use this program to perform some kind of general sweeps or unauthorized searches of peoples weapons to confiscate their firearms. That’s not what was intended,” Arft said.

He said the city attorney will review the program, but he doubts whether the searches will be offered again. He said the police department has always been ready to accept unwanted firearms that residents what to turn in, and that offer still stands.