[cuchulainn]

from the KOMO site

http://www.komotv.com/stories/24588.htmGun Store Security

April 30, 2003

By Theron Zahn


WESTERN WASHINGTON - The Washington D.C. sniper shootings terrorized the east coast for weeks.

Senator Debbie Regala from the 27th Legislative District in Tacoma was shocked to find out the gun used in the shootings was shoplifted from a gun store in her district.

The owner of Bullseye Shooters Supply admits more than 200 guns disappeared off the store's books.

Senator Regala says,"So I thought how do you have a $1,600 item in your store that is stolen and you don't notice it's even missing?"

Here's her idea to prevent guns from being stolen; mandatory high-tech tags like the ones used in department and electronics stores.

Senator Regala says, "There needs to be some accountability and precautions to make sure that irresponsible people can't just walk out the door with this kind of merchandise."

Alan Goldman, the owner of Central Gun Exchange in Seattle says the proposal doesn't make any sense. "It's another law to make somebody feel good to make the legislature appear that they have actually done something."

Goldman says he already locks up his guns, and if someone really wants to steal one, the tags won't stop them. "All you have to do is grab it and run right out the door and if we are behind the counter, by the time we get around and chase you out the door your long gone so what good is that?"

Gun owner Daryl Palaguti doesn't like the electronic tags either. "I don't think it would really help, it sounds like a good idea, but I don't think it would really help much."

Goldman says the system would cost him hundreds of dollars every month, and wonders who would inspect the security tags.

Senator Regala says she understands, but insists something must be done to keep people from shoplifting guns. "So I was trying to think of what can we do up-front, and one of the things we can do up-front is make sure it isn't stolen or shoplifted out of the store in the first place."

But Regala's bill never even got a hearing during this legislative session.

She believes many of her fellow lawmakers are afraid of being connected to any new gun control laws.

Senator Regala say's she hasn't given up and will reintroduce her bill during the legislative session next year.

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[Hkmp5sd]

You can't regulate stupidity.

[Standing Wolf]

Senator Regala says she understands, but insists something must be done to keep people from shoplifting guns. "So I was trying to think of what can we do up-front, and one of the things we can do up-front is make sure it isn't stolen or shoplifted out of the store in the first place."

No, you can't regulate stupidity, but we certainly seem to have an excess of it in legislatures. Bliss ninnies always act as though more laws will make us all safer, which clearly isn't the case, whereas in fact, fewer criminals would.

[Preacherman]

In all fairness, I think that the situation at Bullseye Shooters Supply (to judge from what has appeared in the news media, which admittedly is not necessarily the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth... :rolleyes: ) was pretty bad. Dozens, if not literally hundreds, of guns missing and not accounted for: weapons on display with nothing to stop a member of the public from picking them up and making off with them (no intervening counters, bars, barriers, etc.); inadequate supervision of staff; inadequate record-keeping; etc.

I don't have a problem if either the Federal or a State government tightens up the laws regulating how guns may be displayed, or how they must be accounted for, by a dealer. Provided that the requirements are not restrictive to the point of making it impossible to carry on such a business, I think they are not unreasonable. Certainly, it seems that most gun dealers run a much tighter ship than did Bullseye... unfortunately, the sins of the few will probably bounce back on the many.