Posted on 02/01/2003 12:29:47 AM PST by Super Mak90kid
Mayor, chief seek gun restrictions BY AARONS ANDERFORD / Lincoln Journal Star and NATE JENKINS
If Lincoln's mayor and police chief get their way, more criminals could be arrested for carrying guns, and others could find it harder to sell potentially stolen goods.
Mayor Don Wesely and Police Chief Tom Casady offered three potential ordinances Thursday. They plan to bring the proposals to the City Council in March.
The proposals will ask the council to enact the following changes:
• Prohibit people convicted of theft or a theft-related crimes twice over the last 10 years from selling or trading property to pawn brokers and dealers of secondhand jewelry.
• Make it illegal to keep firearms in parked, unattended vehicles for more than 24 hours.
• Outlaw firearms possession for people convicted of any of 19 charges the mayor and chief selected as "serious, violent or potentially violent misdemeanors."
Police say they found a positive reaction to the first proposal when Casady met Jan. 17 with pawn shop owners and managers.
Jeremy Cosier, manager of Capitol City Pawn &Jewelry, 2541 N. 11th St., said owners initially worried what would be required of them. Those fears were allayed.
"What it's going to try to do is weed out a bad element," Cosier said. "Pawn shops get that bad image, but we're more than happy to cooperate with police and get those types of folks out of the shops."
State law requires pawn shops to provide police information about items they purchase and the people who sold them.
If the proposal were to pass, police would be able to cross-reference lists of who's selling what with lists of known criminals and arrest those who sell items to pawn shops or dealers of secondhand jewelry.
Pawn brokers would not be given a "hot" list of names to avoid, officials said, but would be required to avoid buying from people they knew were convicted twice of such crimes.
No one interviewed Thursday expressed angst about the 24-hour proposal for keeping handguns out of unattended cars.
Investigators brought the ordinance idea to Casady after several victims of larcenies from autos reported firearms stolen.
The firearms-possession ban is modeled on restrictions Omaha uses to keep people convicted of violent misdemeanors from getting gun permits.
Omaha's ordinance also denies gun registration to anyone with a record of drug use or of dangerous mental disorders.
Lincoln's proposal would not address the mental health or substance abuse questions, because both are addressed in state law, Casady said.
But the language of the proposals could ignite legal challenges if written too broadly, said Tim Butz, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska.
Butz worried most about the inclusion of "obstructing government operations" among misdemeanors that could eliminate someone's right to bear arms.
Political demonstrators, particularly at war times, are cited for such crimes, he said.
"What the mayor and the chief are talking about could be completely constitutional if done right, and it could be flagrantly unconstitutional if not,"he said.
City Council members, some of whom first learned of the proposals Thursday, said they need more information and discussion before they'll take concrete positions.
Framing the gun-possession debate will be questions of fairness -- specifically fairness to those convicted of the targeted crimes, council members said.
Councilwoman Annette McRoy said she doesn't yet know enough to say "yea or nay" but added that the ordinances "sound good."
Councilwoman Coleen Seng, a candidate for mayor, said she trusts Casady's judgment.
Councilman Ken Svoboda said public reaction could be a major factor in his decision.
"I'm for anything that takes firearms out of the hands of a potential or convicted criminal," said Svoboda. "But there's a fine line" between public protection and infringing on an individual's rights.
Reach Aaron Sanderford at 473-7225 or asanderford@journalstar.com Reach Nate Jenkins at 473-7223 or njenkins@journalstar.com.
The timing's just about right to make one suspect it.
I thought the exact same thing when I read that terrible article. The're trying to divert attention any from Concealed Carry. And if it passes,they want to make sure as few people as possible can qualify. Sickos.
Well the Lincoln Journal-(Red)Star announced recently that it would not print "native-American" sports teams names, such as the Washington Redskins.
Perhaps, "Police Cheif" is their new spelling for, in their opinion, the racist term "Police Chief".
The state has nothing to do with a city requiring you to get a permit from the city to buy a pistol in that city.
No permit is required to buy a pistol in Arizona, just fill out the ATF forms, the gun store calls your info in, and when you are cleared you go pick up the gun. CCW permit holders fill out the ATF forms, show the CCW, and leave the store with the gun.
Your major error is believing that this is the final step in gun grabbing. THIS IS ONLY A FIRST STEP TO ELIMINATING YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS. Don't be taken in by the anti American gun grabbers BS.
That, or watch our legacy of freedom lost in our generation.
Not on my watch.
Nobody on this thread has been advocating pedophile rights, that is your red herring.
What I am pointing out is that time and time again, a statute such as #8 is sold as preventing guns going to underage gang bangers, yet in the end it is used to imprison uncles for letting their nephews go plinking with a .22, the way that generations have done in America since the days of Jefferson and Adams.
If you can't grasp that simple truth, then you are terminally naive, or have an anti RKBA agenda. Just look at how RICO and asset forfeiture have been misused if you don't understand what I am talking about.
In any case, if I am "too preachy" for you, I suggest your absence from FR will not be noticeed.
It is simply NOT ACCEPTABLE to remove a citizens Constitutional rights on the word of a police officer that claims someone "resisted arrest" or "obstructed their investigation." That is too much power to place in the hands of a single LEO. It amounts to "obey me or I'll take your rights away."
You're absolutely right! I got pulled over a few years ago on a routine traffic stop and a friend of mine was with me. They checked his license along with mine and found out he had an arrest warrant for an unpaid ticket. Without telling me what was happening they ordered him out of the car, cuffed him, and put him in the back of their cruiser. They just told me to be on my way and then they walked off. I got out of my car and insisted they tell me why they are taking him to jail(he lived with his dad and I needed to explain what happened to him since I picked him up). At that point they got hostile and told me if I said one more thing I would be going to jail for "obstructing a Peace Officer". Just for asking a reasonable question. Had they carried through with that threat I would no longer be able to own guns under this new law. Very scary thought.
I don't want pedophiles to have guns anymore than you do. This bill is far more complicated than that. This deals with 19 misdemeanors. About half of them can be pretty minor in many cases. It's also a matter of due process. The more liberty the state is trying to deprive someone of, the more due process they are supposed to have. That is why you are entitled to a jury of your peers when charged with a felony, but not with a misdemeanor. Taking away a person's second amendment rights should be much tougher than just the word of a cop and a judge.
Well that would be every single person on earth, now wouldn't it?
Tar and feather this statist bastard!
I clicked on it last night and started reading. I kept telling myself, "Just one more section, then I'll go to bed."
Well it was about 3:30a.m. when I finally finished the last one. I couldn't stop reading. It was that compelling.
Expect a check for your book this week. Hurry up and finish that book. I can't wait to read the whole thing.
Good luck with your book.
I just can't take the time now to go back and update the versions on the website which are all in HTML format, I do all the revising on my MS Word document files.
BTW, as a woman, do you "buy" Ranya? I have eight sisters, and I like to think I grew up with more insight into female psychology, speech etc than many.
Matt
The typos weren't a problem.
The fact that I couldn't stop reading it, just amazed me. I read a lot and not many books grab me. I just hope the rest of it moves along like the excerpts. I can't wait to find out what happens. And no, don't tell me.
Start shopping the movie rights now.
Movie rights? Now that's a nice dream, I'd just like to have folks read it!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.