Gun registration-what do you think of this?

[38snapcaps]

I found a stolen bicycle and reported it to my local police department, they sent a patrol car over to pick it up.

After putting the bike in his back seat the officer got back behiind the wheel and asked for the correct spelling of my name for his report. He then punched it into his computer and I notice the screen scrolling lines of something. I asked him what it was, I couldn't quite see it thru the side window. He replies, with a slight scarastic tone, "Oh, I'm looking at ALL the guns you own". My State has required handgun registration. Over the past six years I've enjoyed buying and selling several pistols and revolvers. Every handgun I've ever bought was obviously on his screen, even tho at present I don't own even a third of them.

I don't know if I should be upset by this or not. Aren't my private possessions supposed to be just that, "Private"? What's next, a list of every pair of shoes I own, how many boxes of ammunition I have, my bank accounts. One part of me says, its good for government to know a private citizen is fully armed, but then another part is worried about lack of privacy. Didn't we fight a World War and a Cold War against this kind of thing? Ohh how proud Himmler would be!

What business is it of the local police department (or is it Gestapo?) to know how many guns I have and what kind? Why does a squad car have access to such information.

Am I just overreacting? I'd especially appreciate hearing from any THR police officers.

 

[Car Knocker]

Why does a squad car have access to such information?

Short answer #1, because your elected legi-critters mandated it.

Short answer #2, because not enough people were interested enough to prevent such a thing from happening.

That's what it really boils down to.

 

[up_onus]

How scary is that?
Im no police officer, but if it happened to me, I SURELY wouldnt like it...
Here in Nevada the CCW is tied to our drivers liscense, although, I dont really understand the point of that...

 

[FLCLIFF]

I'm saddened to see this but this is the tragic cost of registration in the computer age. I do not believe we have any privacy anymore. I have been a retired LEO for 12 years and in my time we never had this kind of access even in a registration state. I recently rode as an observer on an 8X4 with a LEO buddy of mine in Florida. I had to sign a waiver of course and a background check was mandatory. I was shocked at the amount of info they had about me.

 

[Prince Yamato]

I wouldn't get too paranoid, but I wouldn't sit back and say oh "well" either. That list you see costs taxpayer dollars. There's also no evidence that you will commit a crime with any of those guns. Hell, you could just shoot someone with a stolen gun. I think we should scrap these registries and use the money saved to buy stuffed animals for the antis to snuggle with when they get scared at night. That way, they'll feel secure with Mr. Snoofims in their arms and I'll feel safe with Pietro Beretta XCII in mine.

 

[lucky_fool]

I don't know if I should be upset by this or not.

You should.

its good for government to know a private citizen is fully armed

No it isn't.

 

[vynx]

What State was this in?

 

[Low-Sci]

Well, its certainly something you should consider working to get rid of.

If your state requires registration, then you maybe should have figured that there would be a database thats accessible by LEOs. Information held by the state is not private. If you ever have to tell them what you're doing (drivers license, social security, etc) then they know all about it and its safe to assume that any employees of the state will be able to find out about it.

As to whether its something you should get upset over, what good would that do? Being upset sucks, its something you should avoid wherever possible. Sure, work against it. Get pissed? Nah, save that for a surprise, which this isn't.

 

[38snapcaps]

Michigan-the State with a Canadian born California socialist for a Govenor and where both our Senators are hard core left wing Democrats, one, Carl Levin, we can't seem to get rid of!

 

[OB-1]

It appears that the local patrolman has an amazing amount of information available to them. For example, last year a friend of mine got stopped for speeding on I-90 in northeast Wyoming. Via his computer or radio the Highway Patrolman knew that my friend had spent 22 years in the US Army. My friend had been retired from the US Army for five years at the time.