Posts Tagged ‘Law Enforcement’

Crawford County Pennsylvania Courthouse

After the NRA helped defeat state legislation that would have required Pennsylvania gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement, dozens of cities statewide enacted the requirement themselves. The gun lobby responded by suing cities that had enacted the measure. When those suits failed, they began pushing bills through the legislature that would make it easier to sue local governments for enacting ordinances such as the lost or stolen reporting requirement.

One such bill has already passed the State Senate and would require cities to pay attorneys’ fees, expert witness fees, court costs and damages if a plaintiff succeeds in a lawsuit. Cities would be required to pay even if the city repealed the ordinance while the lawsuit was still pending. Another bill would require cities to pay triple the damages, fees and costs if a plaintiff were to prevail in court.

One Pennsylvania mayor whose city requires reporting of lost or stolen firearms predicted that if the measure is enacted into law, his city will “spend money fighting frivolous litigation instead of hiring police officers.” Another Pennsylvania mayor of a city with the reporting requirement said, “All we’re trying to do is protect our citizens. We were kind of shocked. The legislation is absolutely insane.”

Want to see more Extremism in Action? You can find them here.

On Tuesday, June 12, 2012, an LCPGV co-sponsored bill to require the reporting of lost or stolen firearms in California passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee in a 4-2 vote.  SB 1366 (DeSaulnier) is a critical  measure to help fight the illegal trafficking of crime guns and prevent gun violence in our communities.  The bill is co-sponsored by Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and the California Chapters of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and is supported by the California Police Chiefs Association, the California State Sheriffs’ Association, and mayors and gun violence prevention groups statewide.

Find out more about this important issue with Lost & Stolen Reporting: Why SB 1366 Matters.  SB 1366 now proceeds to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed a measure on March 20, 2012 that allows the use of force to resist law enforcement entry into one’s home or car if a person reasonably believes entry would be unlawful. The new law even allows deadly force against law enforcement in some situations.  The bill is a response to a ruling by the Indiana Supreme Court which held that force may not be used to resist police entry into one’s home. Law enforcement in Indiana voiced strong opposition to the bill. Domestic violence advocates are especially concerned about the new law since police often need to enter homes where domestic violence has occurred to check on the safety of the victim.

Want to see more Extremism in Action? You can find them here.

Yesterday, our priority bill to combat illegal gun trafficking and keep guns out of the wrong hands passed the California State Senate by a vote of 23-14.  Co-sponsored by LCPGV, SB 1366 (DeSaulnier) would require gun owners to alert local law enforcement when their firearms are lost or stolen, providing law enforcement with a much-needed tool to curb gun trafficking. SB 1366 now proceeds to the Assembly. READ MORE »

LCPGV is pleased to report that the California State Senate has taken a critical step to help stop illegal gun trafficking and keep guns out of the wrong hands.

The LCPGV-co-sponsored bill SB 1366 (DeSaulnier) was passed by the California State Senate’s Public Safety Committee in a hearing earlier today. SB 1366 would require gun owners to alert local law enforcement within 48 hours when their firearms are lost or stolen.

Requiring the reporting of lost or stolen guns will provide law enforcement with a critical tool to curb illegal gun trafficking. Without a reporting law in place, individuals whose guns are recovered at crime scenes can falsely claim that their weapons innocently disappeared in order to hide their involvement in criminal activity.

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Seven states, the District of Columbia, and nine cities in California currently require firearm owners to report to law enforcement when their firearms are lost or stolen. The State of California does not.

Currently, firearms dealers and manufacturers must report any lost or stolen firearms within 48 hours, and local law enforcement must enter reports of lost or stolen firearms into the state’s Automated Property System database. However, firearm owners whose guns are lost or stolen are not required to do anything. As a result, law enforcement efforts to investigate gun crimes and disarm dangerous criminals are significantly hindered.

The public overwhelmingly supports laws requiring the reporting of lost or stolen firearms. A nationwide poll in 2011 found that 94% of Americans surveyed, including 94% of gun owners, favor laws to require the reporting of lost or stolen firearms.

In California, 2,972 residents died from firearm related injuries in 2009, and 3,545 others were treated for non-fatal gunshot wounds. Of the 1,811 Californians murdered in 2010, 1,257, or 69%, were killed with firearms. READ MORE »