VA-ALERT: Fingerprint repeal update in Rockingham/Augusta/Chesterfield

VCDL members are already moving to get localities to repeal their CHP
fingerprinting ordinances.

Activist Robert Mortensen sent me an email stating that Rockingham
County Board of Supervisor (BoS) member Chuck Ahrend is going to
bring up Robert's request for the Board to eliminate CHP
fingerprinting. If you can attend the meeting and report back what
happens, that would be great.

I don't expect anything to happen tonight other than for the BoS to
discuss the issue. An actual vote to repeal the ordinance wouldn't
probably happen until next month at the earliest.

But this would be a great time for our Rockingham members to contact
their BoS member and encourage him or her to repeal CHP
fingerprinting.

Here is contact information for the Rockingham BoS:

http://www.rockinghamcountyva.gov/showpage.aspx?PageID=95

It is important that you contact your supervisor and let him or her
know that the Virginia State Police don't require fingerprints to do
a thorough background check and that only 25% of the localities in
Virginia fingerprint. Even Fairfax doesn't fingerprint.

If you would like to coordinate the effort to get fingerprints
repealed in Rockingham, contact member Bob Mortensen at the following
email address (I have used the word 'at' instead of '@' so Bob won't
get spammed):

rjmort at adelphia.net

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AUGUSTA COUNTY MEMBERS - CHP Fingerprint repeal info!

Activist Steve Shifflett has volunteered to coordinate CHP
fingerprint repeal in August County.

If you live in Augusta, contact Steve via email. NOTE: I am putting
the word 'at' instead of '@' in Steve's email address so that Steve
won't get spammed:

glock27_30 at yahoo.com

Here is the Board of Supervisors member's link for Augusta County:

http://www.co.augusta.va.us/bos/bos.htm

I have talked to Supervisor Kay Frye and she is considering the
fingerprint repeal. It is important that you contact your supervisor
(especially James Bailey, who is an ex-state trooper) and let him or
her know that the Virginia State Police don't require fingerprints to
do a thorough background check and that only 25% of the localities in
Virginia fingerprint. Even Fairfax doesn't fingerprint.

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I have a call into Supervisor Renney Humphry here in Chesterfield,
but haven't heard back from her yet. If you live in Chesterfield and
want to help get fingerprinting repealed there, send me an email
(president@vcdl.org).

Here is a link to the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors:

http://www.co.chesterfield.va.us/BoardofSupervisors/boshome.asp

It is important that you contact your supervisor and let him or her
know that the Virginia State Police don't require fingerprints to do
a thorough background check and that only 25% of the localities in
Virginia fingerprint. Let them know that Fairfax, Richmond, Amelia,
and Powhatan don't fingerprint!

In the past, the Chesterfield Police Chief has wanted fingerprinting
because he claims it has caught a few people that the background
check missed. Trouble is that no one at the PD has any records to
show how many cases there were, but as I recall there were only 2 or
3 out of thousands and thousands of permits. Henrico had less than 5
out of over 8,000 permits issued. During hearings on the the
fingerprint repeal bill in the General Assembly, Senator Reynolds
asked if anyone could show more than 1 out of 1,000 permit holders
was found to be disqualified in any locality was found to be
disqualified by the fingerprints only and no one stepped forward.

It is simply too rare to be of consequence. Also, no locality can
actually document any of these cases, either.

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Who else is going after a repeal in the localities that fingerprint?
Time to get this off the books across the state! If you wish to
coordinate your locality, let me know.