STORE: ARMED, NOT DANGEROUS
Author: Kim Foley MacKinnon, GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
 

Gwynne Morgan would love to see clothing stores and bookstores opening up around her neighborhood, but not necessarily Ron Mason's new store that will sell police uniforms and equipment - and take police orders for guns. Even model guns concern Morgan, president of the Highland Civic Association in West Roxbury.

Other concerned residents have called Brigid Boyle, executive director of the West Roxbury Main Streets program, according to Boyle.

But Mason, the retired director of evidence management for the Boston Police Department and a 30-year neighborhood resident, says a customer wouldn't be able to carry out a gun from his new shop on Spring Street.

"I would never put the safety of the community at risk. I live here."

Officers will be able to order police-issue guns, but the order will be placed over the phone by the store - and directly delivered to the police department from the distributor, said Mason.

Even the model guns on display are plastic, with orange, green, or blue handles, used to test out equipment for sale such as holsters or gun racks.

"If you go to Toys "R" Us, it's more real than here," said Mason of the demos at the store.

Mason said that at one point early on in planning the store there was talk of selling actual guns, but that plan was quickly discarded.

"Why take a chance when you can pick up a phone?" said Mason. A "communication breakdown" occurred, he said, leading to the fear in West Roxbury of the business selling guns.

Weapon sales, including mace and batons, will actually be a small part of the business, said Mason.

He expects the bulk of his sales will be uniforms and other clothing, such as leather goods. "We will have tailors on duty," said Mason, which he said will be a bonus for officers used to ordering clothes through catalogs without being able to try them on.

Clay Chase, president of the Municipal Headquarters Supply company, which has another store in Marlborough, said that police impersonation has always been a concern. Background checks and phone calls to report suspicious customers are standard procedure. Sales clerks are not only trained on the equipment in the store, but on how to screen customers. Proper identification will be required for almost all purchases, said Mason. People walking in off the street trying to buy police items will be discouraged or refused.

There are few places in Boston where officers can see and feel all the gear they need, said Chase. The closest competitors are Doughboy Police and Fire Supply in Dorchester and AAA Police Supply in Dedham.

Doughboy primarily sells clothing, not gear, said manager Jack Miller. AAA Police Supply sells live firearms as well as uniforms and shoes.

Miller said the store has at least two tangible benefits. One is bringing in a larger police presence to the neighborhood.

The other?

"Coffee shops," Mason quipped, "will do well."
 

CITY WEEKLY / WEST ROXBURY