Passing Bill for Fifth Time Requiring Microstamping of Handguns(NY)

patch.com ^ | 1 July, 2012 | Michelle Schimel

[marktwain]

Together with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Codes Committee Chair Joseph Lentol, we announced on June 20 passage of the Crime Gun Identification Act of 2012 that would require all new semiautomatic handguns sold in New York State, by 2014, to be microstamped with a unique code which is transferred to shell casings when the gun is fired.

“Microstamping is a technological advancement that will not only help law enforcement officials investigate gun-related crimes, but will also act as a prevention tool to combat gun trafficking and reduce gun violence across New York,” said Silver. “Gun violence has caused great harm to many in our communities. This legislation would help law enforcement to bring the perpetrators of these violent crimes to justice and offer some measure of closure to the victims of these heinous acts. I commend Assemblywoman Schimel for championing this effort and all my colleagues for supporting this important public safety measure.”

Microstamping ensures that when a gun is fired, information identifying the make, model and serial number of the gun is stamped onto the cartridge as numbers and letters. This technology allows law enforcement to trace firearms through shell casings found at crime scenes, even if the gun is never found. This crime-fighting tool will provide law enforcement with rapid leads at crime scenes and will provide evidence to help investigate, arrest, and convict more criminals of gun-related offenses.

This is the fifth year that I have sponsored and debated microstamping legislation, which has passed our house each year. In this session, the Assembly included a microstamping measure in our budget proposal, but regretfully, it was not included in the final state budget. As we wait for the state Senate to act on this bill, brave law enforcement officers are being struck down by gun fire and innocent victims continue to be wantonly murdered. We can’t catch their killers because they fire anonymous bullets. I urge the state Senate to put the public’s safety above the interests of extremists in the gun lobby and pass this important crime-fighting measure.

Silver and I have noted that this bill will not place any restrictions on lawful gun ownership or impair access to the lawful purchase of weapons. The certification process called for in the bill is entirely industry based. The manufacturers of semiautomatic handguns will incur minimal costs to adopt this technology.

Michelle Schimel is the New York State Assembly representative for the 16th Assembly District. She was first elected in a Special Election held on March 27, 2007.

[T-Bird45]

Cheaper words: nail file, emery board.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I have an effective and patentable way of microstamping bullets as well as casings. Like a couple of other things, I’ll not submit it.

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Speaking as a patent attorney, you may be better off submitting it, because a patent can prevent others from implementing the idea if they also come up with it.

[Hardraade]

I think not. It will cost patent money I don’t have. And I don’t think it’s a likely flash in anyone’s head.

Anyway, it’s completely unsubvertible, cannot be killed by file or mistreatment, but adds to the expense of the gun. Would probably be best for locking down govt owned guns. For the fast & furious stuff, for example, you’d be able to tally every kill from every gun, provided you found a halfway decent bullet frag.

Anyway, I had a car system back in 87 that our national insurance association went a bit crazy over. Shredded the thing, it would have destroyed privacy and freedom of movement to a point where Obomber&Co hasn’t even thought yet

[Atlas Sneezed]

The choice is yours, but my point is that the power of a patent is to PREVENT others from practicing the invention.

[marktwain]

I had an idea that I developed in the mid 80’s that could effectively destroy the country with small expense. It would probably kill off 10s of millions and keep the country crippled for a decade or more. It required 30 people that could keep their mouth shut.

I refused to publish it for 20 years, but now it has gotten out on the net, though not in great detail. Some counter measures are in place since 9/11, but the current administration has stalled the most effective ones, that would have cost a tiny fraction of the TARP money spent on frivolous things.

[Pecos]

You’re forgetting the immortal words of Tim, the Toolman, “It needs more power!” ;-)