12GA
Member
This is exactly the opposite of what the judge said to me as an explanation for administrative restrictions on CCW permits issued in Albany county. 
Gun Task Force in Albany County
Albany councilman calls for gun task force
Albany-- Mayor, public safety commissioner oppose proposed regional committee devoted to shootings
By BRENDAN LYONS, Staff writer
First published: Monday, April 7, 2003
Nearly 300 times a year, shots ring out in Albany and a young person is often left bloodied or dead.
Most of the guns are pistols that come from southern states, and they can fetch $500 to $1,200 each on the streets. Many are driven here after being purchased illegally or having been stolen in burglaries at gun shops or homes.
For several years, police officers in Albany have been instructed to be aggressive -- to frisk young men when they can do so legally and to pass along every whisper of a gun to detectives.
Still, "It's like the OK Corral out there," said one detective.
City leaders contend gun violence has remained steady over the past several years and that they are meeting the problem head-on. But at least one Common Council member wants to do more.
Dominick Calsolaro, who represents part of the city's crime-plagued South End, will introduce legislation at tonight's Common Council meeting seeking the establishment of a regional gun violence task force. He contends that an emergency room doctor at Albany Medical Center Hospital recently told a community group that more gunshot victims seem to be coming through their doors.
"I'm hoping that we get this group together," Calsolaro said. "It'll give the police and the community a set meeting time so that once a month both sides can sit down and talk about the issue. ... It's a perception thing. People look at Albany and they think it's unsafe."
He is getting fierce resistance from Public Safety Commissioner John C. Nielsen and Mayor Jerry Jennings, both of whom contend the task force would be redundant because there already is a city task force that deals with youth crime.
"It's not like we've been turning our backs on issues like gun violence. It's a priority and it always has been," Jennings said. "It's not just about guns; it's about drugs, a lack of an education. I already have a mayor's youth group here, a good working task force ... they understand the issues facing our youth. It's important to take away their desire to get involved in guns and gangs."
Nielsen bristles when questioned about Calsolaro's idea. From the window in his home overlooking Washington Park, which has been the scene of several grisly murders over the years, Nielsen can see the spot where a man was shot in the face during a botched robbery two weeks ago.
"I walk that neighborhood every night," Nielsen said. "This is not something that we're blowing off because we don't worry about it. We really are doing all the things that we can."
Last year in Albany, 36 people were shot in 28 separate incidents. Six died. It was a slight increase from 2001, when 24 people were shot in 22 instances, five fatally. Those statistics don't include all reports of shots fired, which topped 275 last year.
On the streets, detectives said finding the guns has become more difficult because young men who are "known shooters" have learned to stash weapons or have their girlfriends hold them in case the police come.
The guns come from a variety of sources, according to agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which traces crime guns for police.
While handguns continue to be the weapon of choice for criminals, a new trend police are seeing is rifles and shotguns, often stolen in burglaries, being sawed off so that they can fit inside a coat or under the seat of a car.
"They're altering the firearms for easy concealability," said Special Agent Joseph Green, a spokesman for the ATF's New York Field Division. "There's only one reason to do that with rifles, so that law enforcement can't detect them."
The trend is partly a result of the tightening of handgun purchasing laws nationwide.
"The ability to traffic in firearms has been diminished," said John Morgan, resident agent-in-charge of the Albany ATF office. "The consequence is that stolen guns, or the necessity to steal firearms, is much more prevalent."
That has been apparent in the Capital Region, especially Colonie, where a smattering of gun shop burglaries have taken place over the past two years.
The most recent was on Dec. 29, when four Albany teenagers were caught moments after they allegedly smashed their way into a Central Avenue gun shop and stole 22 handguns. They told police they intended to sell the weapons on local streets, authorities said.
The same store, B&J Guns, was also targeted in August 2001 when 35 high-priced handguns were taken during a break-in. That case remains unsolved and some of the guns taken in that burglary have turned up in New York City criminal investigations, officials said.
In an effort to send a strong message, local police have teamed with federal authorities in recent years and in some cases gun crimes are being prosecuted federally. The result is that many defendants who committed crimes that normally brought light jail sentences are now facing stiff prison sentences from federal judges.
Gun Task Force in Albany County
Albany councilman calls for gun task force
Albany-- Mayor, public safety commissioner oppose proposed regional committee devoted to shootings
By BRENDAN LYONS, Staff writer
First published: Monday, April 7, 2003
Nearly 300 times a year, shots ring out in Albany and a young person is often left bloodied or dead.
Most of the guns are pistols that come from southern states, and they can fetch $500 to $1,200 each on the streets. Many are driven here after being purchased illegally or having been stolen in burglaries at gun shops or homes.
For several years, police officers in Albany have been instructed to be aggressive -- to frisk young men when they can do so legally and to pass along every whisper of a gun to detectives.
Still, "It's like the OK Corral out there," said one detective.
City leaders contend gun violence has remained steady over the past several years and that they are meeting the problem head-on. But at least one Common Council member wants to do more.
Dominick Calsolaro, who represents part of the city's crime-plagued South End, will introduce legislation at tonight's Common Council meeting seeking the establishment of a regional gun violence task force. He contends that an emergency room doctor at Albany Medical Center Hospital recently told a community group that more gunshot victims seem to be coming through their doors.
"I'm hoping that we get this group together," Calsolaro said. "It'll give the police and the community a set meeting time so that once a month both sides can sit down and talk about the issue. ... It's a perception thing. People look at Albany and they think it's unsafe."
He is getting fierce resistance from Public Safety Commissioner John C. Nielsen and Mayor Jerry Jennings, both of whom contend the task force would be redundant because there already is a city task force that deals with youth crime.
"It's not like we've been turning our backs on issues like gun violence. It's a priority and it always has been," Jennings said. "It's not just about guns; it's about drugs, a lack of an education. I already have a mayor's youth group here, a good working task force ... they understand the issues facing our youth. It's important to take away their desire to get involved in guns and gangs."
Nielsen bristles when questioned about Calsolaro's idea. From the window in his home overlooking Washington Park, which has been the scene of several grisly murders over the years, Nielsen can see the spot where a man was shot in the face during a botched robbery two weeks ago.
"I walk that neighborhood every night," Nielsen said. "This is not something that we're blowing off because we don't worry about it. We really are doing all the things that we can."
Last year in Albany, 36 people were shot in 28 separate incidents. Six died. It was a slight increase from 2001, when 24 people were shot in 22 instances, five fatally. Those statistics don't include all reports of shots fired, which topped 275 last year.
On the streets, detectives said finding the guns has become more difficult because young men who are "known shooters" have learned to stash weapons or have their girlfriends hold them in case the police come.
The guns come from a variety of sources, according to agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which traces crime guns for police.
While handguns continue to be the weapon of choice for criminals, a new trend police are seeing is rifles and shotguns, often stolen in burglaries, being sawed off so that they can fit inside a coat or under the seat of a car.
"They're altering the firearms for easy concealability," said Special Agent Joseph Green, a spokesman for the ATF's New York Field Division. "There's only one reason to do that with rifles, so that law enforcement can't detect them."
The trend is partly a result of the tightening of handgun purchasing laws nationwide.
"The ability to traffic in firearms has been diminished," said John Morgan, resident agent-in-charge of the Albany ATF office. "The consequence is that stolen guns, or the necessity to steal firearms, is much more prevalent."
That has been apparent in the Capital Region, especially Colonie, where a smattering of gun shop burglaries have taken place over the past two years.
The most recent was on Dec. 29, when four Albany teenagers were caught moments after they allegedly smashed their way into a Central Avenue gun shop and stole 22 handguns. They told police they intended to sell the weapons on local streets, authorities said.
The same store, B&J Guns, was also targeted in August 2001 when 35 high-priced handguns were taken during a break-in. That case remains unsolved and some of the guns taken in that burglary have turned up in New York City criminal investigations, officials said.
In an effort to send a strong message, local police have teamed with federal authorities in recent years and in some cases gun crimes are being prosecuted federally. The result is that many defendants who committed crimes that normally brought light jail sentences are now facing stiff prison sentences from federal judges.
