Posted on 05/13/2010 8:34:01 AM PDT by neverdem
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Codes Committee Chair Joseph Lentol announced today the passage of legislation that will help law enforcement solve crimes by expanding the DNA databank and requiring microstamping technology on semiautomatic pistols.
"These common sense measures will help protect New Yorkers by vastly increasing information available to law enforcement as it conducts criminal investigations by giving it the tools to forge meaningful links between evidence and crimes," said Silver (D-Manhattan). "I applaud my colleagues in the Assembly Majority for recognizing the importance of this package of legislation. By expanding the DNA database and requiring microstamping on semi-automatic weapons, we can help keep our neighborhoods safe."
"The Assembly has passed legislation today that will take important steps towards protecting innocent individuals from wrongful convictions. It also broadens the DNA database by including all those convicted of violating any crime in the penal law," said Lentol (D-Brooklyn). "In the many years I have spent working on these important measures to prevent wrongful conviction and to help the innocent get out of prison after being wrongfully convicted, I have often been accused of being soft on crime, for trying to help the innocent. Well I say we are being tough on crime, because as long as an innocent man or woman rots in prison, the guilty man is free to walk the streets committing more crimes. The goal, after all, of our criminal justice system is to protect the rights of the innocent and protect society by ensuring that only those who have committed crimes are brought before the bar of justice. The proposals included in today's package are a solid step toward better protecting law-abiding, responsible New Yorkers."
One measure would require semiautomatic pistols manufactured or delivered to a licensed dealer in this state to be capable of microstamping ammunition (A.6468C/Schimel). The bill would ensure that when a gun is fired, information identifying the make, model and serial number of the gun is stamped onto the cartridge. Police investigating crimes would be able to link firearms to those crimes by looking at cartridge cases found at crime scenes. The Assembly also passed legislation which would protect innocent people from being wrongfully convicted while expanding the state's criminal DNA database (A.6528/Lentol). Specifically, this broad-based, sensible measure would:
Worse than useless. Expensive. Are we going to have firearms like we have lawnmowers now that say “NOT FOR SALE IN CALIFORNIA,” except for New York?
I guess we already have that with magazines more than 10 rounds. But now New York is in a whole other league.
Matter of fact, useless and stupid seem to be requirements.
Someone needs to tell NY how easy it is to completely defeat microstamping....but then when have the libs ever let facts get in the way of a good scary story?
Like buying a revolver?
Worse than useless, worse than expensive.... down right miss leading.
A criminal plans to kill someone.
Goes to a local range and finds fired brass from the same caliber. Uses micro-scope to find one case that has a stamp on it. Goes ahead and commits the crime. Drops the wiped down case at the crime scene.
Cops spend days / weeks harassing an innocent gun owner.
Very good point. Hopefully a smart detective will take into consideration the fact that the brass has been fired multiple times before going for a conviction, but you’re right, they will be at least hassled.
Just where are the LE agencies gonna buy their firearms and ammo from when no mfg will microstamp, thus cannot sell into NY?
Isn’t it about time the firearms industry bands together with gun owners and refuses to sell to any LE agency where these kind of regulations are in place? It would be painful economically at first, losing the sales to those agencies/states, but once the “unintended consequences” of these type of laws were felt, the long term benefit would vastly outweigh the short term economic losses.
I can’t believe that the firearms industry can be so shortsighted.
I can just see the antitrust case started by Attorney General Holder or Cuomo after that kind of a tactic. I totally agree with you, but I don't see it happening. The firearms companies (like most businesses) mainly try to stay under the radar.
Oh, they will make microstamp-enabled firearms. Likely 50%-100% markup from a non-microstamp firearm. Legal citizens suffer, criminals are unaffected.
Right now, I'm looking at Texas as my #1 option after finishing school. Maybe the Dakotas or Wyoming too, although I really want warmer weather.
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