Cincinnati Metro examines weapons policy following incident on bus

CINCINNATI — Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) is assigning staff members to look into its weapons policy, following a change that is causing some confusion among employees, WVXU reports.

The need for clarification comes after a passenger recently openly carried guns on a SORTA bus. Although Ohio is an “Open Carry” state, a license is needed to carry a concealed weapon, however, only concealed weapons are allowed on motor vehicles, including buses. Since a streetcar is not considered a streetcar, though, a person can, by law, openly carry a weapon on the Cincinnati Bell Connector.

In December the SORTA board approved a modified weapons policy. The document indicates that employees are not allowed to carry — open or otherwise. It also explains how a person is allowed to carry a weapon on buses or streetcars, but the document could be confusing to someone who doesn’t know the exact wording of the law, according to the report. For the full story, click here.