Drizzt
Member
1 year wait for replacement guns in the works
Assemblyman hopes law will make owners more responsible for lost or stolen weapons
Monday, March 10, 2003
BY ROBERT GAVIN
ADVANCE ALBANY BUREAU
ALBANY -- Lose your gun or have it stolen, and wait a year to replace it.
That's Assemblyman John Lavelle's plan to help keep guns off the streets. And he wants it passed into state law.
"The point here is there should be some kind of responsibility of gun ownership and one of the responsibilities, I believe, is to protect the weapon, keep it in a safe place, so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands," Lavelle said.
"That includes if someone's home is broken into, the gun should be secured," the North Shore Democrat said. "The point here is there should be some kind of penalty for not showing proper gun ownership."
Lavelle's legislation would cover all guns, rifles and shotguns. He argued it would reduce carelessness among gun owners and convince them to keep their firearms more secure.
"Often, stolen guns end up being used in crimes and there are insufficient laws protecting us from the illegal use of handguns," said Katina Johnstone, a Stapleton gun opponent who unsuccessfully ran for Congress three years ago.
Ms. Johnstone, who lost her husband, David, to gunfire in San Francisco in 1992, gave the bill a thumbs up.
"Anything that would make a gun owner keep track of his guns better, I think it's good," she said.
Cops and peace officers would be exempt under the proposed law, which is circulating the Assembly's Codes Committee. Lavelle, who chairs the borough's Democratic Party, would need a co-sponsor in the Republican-controlled state Senate for his bill to stand a chance at becomming law.
One Island Republican shot the proposal down.
"I don't see the purpose of the legislation," said Assemblyman Robert Straniere (R-South Shore), arguing Lavelle's bill could "unfairly penalize" gun owners who lose their weapons or become theft victims.
Straniere said he would want police input and statistics before even entertaining Lavelle's proposal. Lavelle had no statistics available.
Cops asked about the bill stopped short of granting it praise or condemnation.
"It's really not going to hurt the bad guys," said one Staten Island police officer, who noted illegal guns cause the biggest problems on the streets.
Another Island cop said it could take up to a year to replace a lost or stolen gun in any case, given the red tape involved. But he said such a law could potentially force someone to buy a gun illegally.
An Island detective doubted the law, if enacted, would keep guns off the streets. The guns targeted under the bill, he noted, are legal and for licensed owners already deemed credible. He said the year-long wait makes sense if the gun owner lost the weapon. But, he noted there are times when guns are locked away in safes or other seemingly secure spots and still get stolen. He did not believe owners should be punished if they lose their guns that way.
Lavelle, in defending his legislation, argued, "If you purchase a weapon, you have a responsibility to secure it. This is a penalty -- and it's not that severe a penalty."
http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1047307553172420.xml
Assemblyman hopes law will make owners more responsible for lost or stolen weapons
Monday, March 10, 2003
BY ROBERT GAVIN
ADVANCE ALBANY BUREAU
ALBANY -- Lose your gun or have it stolen, and wait a year to replace it.
That's Assemblyman John Lavelle's plan to help keep guns off the streets. And he wants it passed into state law.
"The point here is there should be some kind of responsibility of gun ownership and one of the responsibilities, I believe, is to protect the weapon, keep it in a safe place, so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands," Lavelle said.
"That includes if someone's home is broken into, the gun should be secured," the North Shore Democrat said. "The point here is there should be some kind of penalty for not showing proper gun ownership."
Lavelle's legislation would cover all guns, rifles and shotguns. He argued it would reduce carelessness among gun owners and convince them to keep their firearms more secure.
"Often, stolen guns end up being used in crimes and there are insufficient laws protecting us from the illegal use of handguns," said Katina Johnstone, a Stapleton gun opponent who unsuccessfully ran for Congress three years ago.
Ms. Johnstone, who lost her husband, David, to gunfire in San Francisco in 1992, gave the bill a thumbs up.
"Anything that would make a gun owner keep track of his guns better, I think it's good," she said.
Cops and peace officers would be exempt under the proposed law, which is circulating the Assembly's Codes Committee. Lavelle, who chairs the borough's Democratic Party, would need a co-sponsor in the Republican-controlled state Senate for his bill to stand a chance at becomming law.
One Island Republican shot the proposal down.
"I don't see the purpose of the legislation," said Assemblyman Robert Straniere (R-South Shore), arguing Lavelle's bill could "unfairly penalize" gun owners who lose their weapons or become theft victims.
Straniere said he would want police input and statistics before even entertaining Lavelle's proposal. Lavelle had no statistics available.
Cops asked about the bill stopped short of granting it praise or condemnation.
"It's really not going to hurt the bad guys," said one Staten Island police officer, who noted illegal guns cause the biggest problems on the streets.
Another Island cop said it could take up to a year to replace a lost or stolen gun in any case, given the red tape involved. But he said such a law could potentially force someone to buy a gun illegally.
An Island detective doubted the law, if enacted, would keep guns off the streets. The guns targeted under the bill, he noted, are legal and for licensed owners already deemed credible. He said the year-long wait makes sense if the gun owner lost the weapon. But, he noted there are times when guns are locked away in safes or other seemingly secure spots and still get stolen. He did not believe owners should be punished if they lose their guns that way.
Lavelle, in defending his legislation, argued, "If you purchase a weapon, you have a responsibility to secure it. This is a penalty -- and it's not that severe a penalty."
http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1047307553172420.xml
I'll even slap on a bright orange "I am unarmed, please do not hurt me" sticker on his back for his walking tour of the South Bronx!
I think I just need to stop reading this junk. If we are lucky someday the world will stop spinning and NOBODY will have to worry about any stupid laws.
