Posted on 01/29/2013 8:41:06 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
BALLSTON SPA — The 105-member Saratoga County sheriffs’ deputies union says new state gun control legislation makes criminals of ordinary citizens.
The group also objects, in a six-page letter to state officials, to how quickly new laws were passed, with no apparent provisions for law enforcement officers.
As written, for example, a new rule that reduces ammunition magazines from 10 rounds to seven would apply to police officers and National Guard members as well.
“I’m sure they’re going to correct it,” said Charles Fuller, Saratoga County Deputy Sheriff’s Police Benevolent Association president. “But if it went through the normal process, they would have caught this.”
The PBA represents Sheriff’s Office road patrol division deputies. Fuller said the letter, dated
Jan. 24, was approved by the union’s executive committee with full support from PBA members.
The letter was sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state Republican Committee and several state senators including Kathleen Marchione, R-Halfmoon, who is trying to get the new law repealed, arguing that it violates the state constitution.
“As a predominantly rural county in upstate New York, the lawful ownership of firearms is and has been a valued tradition enjoyed by many of our citizens,” Fuller said in the letter. “Sadly, the legislation effectively turns countless law-abiding gun owners into criminals for absolutely no reason.”
Fuller said Tuesday that deputies “won’t be knocking on doors” to see if people are complying with the new law.
“It makes our job more challenging by giving us one more thing to worry about,” he said.
The Police Conference of New York, which represents police statewide, has also voiced its concerns to state officials. “Certain parts of this law, if left unchanged, will adversely affect our members,” President Richard Wells said.
In addition to a reduction in rounds, the law makes magazines that hold more than 10 rounds illegal. Wells said some retired officers have weapons that hold up to 16 rounds. Quite often, retired officers get second jobs as security officers.
“If they’re going to be armed, they should be able to have more than seven rounds,” he said. “We’re very confident that will be fixed.”
Saratoga Springs PBA has not formally protested the new law, but is following the Police Conference’s lead, President Paul Veitch said.
The deputies’ letter specifically criticizes the tactics Cuomo and Senate Majority Coalition co-leader Dean Skelos, R-Rockville Center, used to get the legislation passed. Most sections of the new law take effect within 60 days, with two others up to a year.
“There was absolutely no reason for the governor to issue a message of necessity to bring this bill to a vote,” Fuller said. “There is no emergency. The governor’s actions were questionable at best and a deliberate attempt to bypass the constitutional process and thus opposition to the bill at worst.”
The letter applauds some aspects of the new law, such as bringing attention to shortcomings in the mental health system. However, that is one of the law’s few bright spots, the PBA said.
“By and large, our membership finds the legislation to be little more than a thinly-veiled attempt at regulating lawful gun ownership out of existence,” Fuller said.
Bullshiite!
Why should cops have access to higher capacity mags than law-abiding citizens?
coomo really stepped in it this time. He just HAD to get this law rammed through before people knew what was in it so that he could be a BIG hero to the libtard commie rat b@stards who support him. What would you expect from a guy whose ancestors were the Italian criminal class? Let the Noo Yawkers live with it - they elected the morons coomo and doomberg.
They just keep pushing and pushing. The time is coming to push back.
Remember this: if elections really mattered they would be illegal.
I thought the Second Amendment only applied to civilians not police. Police have power over civilians. “We The People” would need protection from them. So I don’t see why police would consider that the Amendment applies to them.
Not on our watch! - www.OathKeepers.org
ping
Democrats and RINOS
GOD DENIERS AND CONGENITAL LIARS
ARE REDISTRIBUTE WEALTH INCITERS
FOR FIRST YOUR MONEY THEN YOUR GUNS
AND BE DEFENSELESS WHEN CROOKS COME
Makes an excellent and easy to make palmcard when printed up
You people need to elect a constitutional sheriff, and then muster a 2,000 man armed auxiliary deputy battalion for “emergencies.”
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