CHARLEMONT — Charles M. Ricko II, a reserve police officer and owner of the Overwatch Outpost sporting goods shop, firmly believes in the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment and that the presence of well-trained, armed citizens could be a deterrent in a situation where someone might use a gun to commit a crime.
That’s why he will be offering the Massachusetts Basic Firearms Safety Course free to school teachers — and at a deeply discounted price for anyone else who needs the certification required for a License to Carry (LTC) pistol permit.
The class, for up to 25 people, will be held on July 14, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Shelburne Falls Senior Center, 7 Main St. in Shelburne.
Teachers can take the class for free, he says in a flier announcing the event, “because we love teachers, and we feel that they, too, deserve the basic right to defend themselves.”
“Normally, the class is $125,” Ricko explained. “I was going to do it for free, but it will cost me $20 (per student) for books and materials.” So Ricko will charge $20 for participants who are not teachers, and he will pay the cost of materials himself for any teachers who sign up.
Ricko knows that Massachusetts law prohibits teachers and others from bringing firearms onto school property. “They’ll never allow teachers to be armed here,” he remarked. “But if teachers want to learn how to protect themselves — they should be protected because they are teaching our children. We protect our money with armed people. Why don’t we protect our children with armed people?”
When asked if the recent threat that closed the Mohawk and Hawlemont schools for one day this month prompted him to make this offer, Ricko replied, “Not specifically. That threat was not creditable. But my wife is a school teacher, and I’m a firm believer that gun-free zones kill people,” he said.
“This is my 20th year as a police officer,” he said. “When you look at the whole shelter-in-place thing, I think it’s a joke. People need to fight back. There’s a saying: When seconds count, police are just minutes away.”
He said there are hundreds of cases where catastrophes were averted by someone who was carrying a gun, but are rarely reported.
The Second Amendment, adopted in 1791, guarantees the right of people “to keep and bear arms,” although there is much controversy about how this amendment should be interpreted.
Massachusetts General Law says: No one except a law enforcement officer is allowed to carry a loaded or unloaded firearm, or other dangerous weapon into any school building, college or university without written authorization of the board or person in charge of the school — regardless of whether they have a license to carry. Violators can be immediately arrested and detained by a police officer; also, they could be fined up to $1,000 and/or get a jail sentence of up to two years. Furthermore, any school administrator or faculty member who does not report the offense could face a misdemeanor charge and be fined up to $500.
Those who want to register for the pistol safety class must sign up at the Overwatch Outpost, at 97 Main St., when the shop is open, Wednesday through Sunday until 6 p.m.