{"id":1871,"date":"2010-07-11T10:54:11","date_gmt":"2010-07-11T14:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gunpoliticsny.com\/?p=1871"},"modified":"2010-07-11T10:54:11","modified_gmt":"2010-07-11T14:54:11","slug":"mccarthy-pushing-lost-stolen-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gunpoliticsny.com\/?p=1871","title":{"rendered":"McCarthy pushing lost & stolen bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an attempt to appear at least somewhat relevant and justify her re-election bid, Carolyn McCarthy<\/a> plans to introduced a bill\u00a0requiring reporting lost and stolen handguns to the police. \u00a0According to her press release<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“… Straw purchasers often rely on the \u201cI lost it and forgot to report it,\u201d loophole to get off the hook. Lost or stolen handgun reporting would help seal that hole \u2013 with zero impact on responsible, law-abiding owners …”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is part of the new strategy the antis have been formenting for some time, shifting to gun owner liability and lead\/environmental issues.<\/p>\n

If a persons gun is stolen, how exactly would her proposal make it easier for police to track down the criminal, prosecute them and return the gun to its rightful owner? \u00a0Answer: It doesn’t.<\/p>\n

“… When police discover a handgun at a crime scene, it is usually possible to trace it back to an original purchaser …”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By her own admission, all police can do it track it back to the original purchaser. \u00a0Since Pataki’s 5-point plan New York has had a 24-hour reporting requirement and I have never once heard of it being used against someone for illegally buying firearms for a prohibited person. \u00a0Plus it is a crime to file a phony police report so a straw buyer can already be charged if they report the guns they bought were stolen. \u00a0Her bill does nothing more than create a new victimless \u00a0paperwork crime specifically targeted at someone who was the victim of a real crime by a real criminal.<\/p>\n