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KROGER COMPANY CLARIFIES POSITION
CONCEALED CARRY HAS "NEVER" BEEN ALLOWED
Please note that Ohioans For Concealed Carry has
received notification from Kroger that this policy has been reversed
and is explained
HERE.
By James R. Hall
2nd VP, KC3
After Ohio enacted a concealed carry
law, businesses in that state had to decide whether or not they would
allow customers to exercise their newfound right to provide for their
own defense. Like many states before, it seemed that the rush
was on in OH to keep the evil gun out of every public place imaginable,
including certain retail stores. This pattern has played out in
every state that has enacted concealed carry laws.
The interesting thing with one instance
of this, regarding The Kroger Company, is the manner they have chosen
to prohibit firearms in some stores without identifying the policy as being company wide.
Ohioans For Concealed Carry (OFCC) published a
story on their
website that pointed out this inconsistency. According to
OFCC, "Kroger's Cincinnati region risk management division... controls
stores in Northern Kentucky as well as Cincinnati and Dayton" and they
report that while stores in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas are being
posted to restrict CCDW, "signs are NOT being posted in the Kentucky
stores!"
In an effort to clarify Kroger's
position for our members and other KY licensees, KC3 contacted Kroger via the
"Customer
Comment" submission form on the Kroger.com Internet pages with the
following Inquiry:
Having read about your decision to ban
the carrying of concealed weapons in SW OH stores, I would like to
know if such a prohibition will be effected in any KY stores. Please
respond as soon as possible, there are approximately 70,000 licensees
in KY that will be interested to know whether or not they are welcome
in your stores.
Thank you for your prompt attention.
Their very prompt reply is reproduced
here with abbreviated header source information included:
Received: from u060mail4.kroger.com by gatekeeper.kroger.com
Reply-To: <Service.Representative@kroger.com>
From: "Service Representative" <Service.Representative@kroger.com>
To: <jrhallkc3@bellsouth.net>
Subject: case id 1780302
Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 12:03:11 -0400
Message-ID: <000a01c436a8$4b74adc0$4204fd0a@n060ctx01>
Dear Mr. Hall:
Thank you for contacting The Kroger Co. Kroger respects the right of
citizens to carry concealed handguns as permitted under a new Ohio
law. The law also allows private businesses to prohibit employees and
customers from carrying handguns on to their premises. Kroger has
never allowed our employees or our customers to carry firearms or
deadly weapons into our stores, offices or workplace. Although we
are not required by law to post signs in most Ohio stores, we decided
to do so because of questions from our customers and employees.
Sincerely,
Cassie Bargo
Consumer Affairs
Reference: 1780302
[Emphasis added]
It is most interesting to note that though
they "never allowed... customers to carry firearms or deadly weapons"
in their stores or offices, here in KY they never deemed it necessary
to tell anyone of the prohibition, at least not customers. They
make the claim that though they "are not required by law to post signs
in most Ohio stores, [they] decided to do so because of questions from
[their] customers and employees."
So, what about KY stores? This Commonwealth's concealed carry law requires that "If the building or
the premises are open to the
public, the employer or business enterprise shall post signs on
or about the premises if carrying concealed weapons is prohibited."
[Emphasis added] According to the above e-mail, they prohibit
weapons so that leaves us to ask (in the tradition of Jeff Foxworthy):
Kroger Company - WHERE'S YOUR SIGN?!??
It appears a bit underhanded, at least to
this licensee, that Kroger would have such a policy and not display it
for all to see. But, now that Kroger's concealed weapons
policies are clearly established, we at KC3 recommend, as always, to
please comply with their wishes and take your business to where you
are welcomed as a desired and trusted friend. There are a lot of
places that sell food that will be glad to have you as a customer.
And besides being safer while shopping, you likely won't even need to use a tracking tag to
get the best price!
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