Drizzt
Member
Push on to loosen handgun law in Allegany County
Allegany County’s procedures for purchasing and registering a handgun were brought into question this past week during a Public Safety Committee meeting.
Legislator Brent Reynolds, R-Alfred Station, brought up the issue of buying a handgun in the county and questioned whether the laws could be loosened to allow law-abiding gun owners to more easily purchase a handgun.
Other counties, such as Livingston County, do not require gun owners to first register a gun before taking it home, Mr. Reynolds said.
Under current laws, a person who has a gun permit in Allegany County has to register a handgun with the Allegany County Sheriff’s Department before possessing a handgun. For instance, if someone goes to a gun store and purchases a handgun, that individual has to first take the receipt and gun information to the pistol permit clerk to register the handgun and have it listed on his or her handgun permit. Then that person can take the gun home.
“You can’t leave with a gun until you lawfully register it,” said Undersheriff Denis Reynolds in a recent interview.
Legislator Reynolds said he “didn’t see where safety was an issue. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own handguns without a lot of hassle.”
Undersheriff Reynolds said he was opposed to changing the laws to loosen procedures on handgun ownership.
“The laws are in place to protect everyone. The rules that are in place are good rules,” he said.
Legislator Reynolds said that he first brought up the issue at the meeting because some of his constituents had contacted him and questioned how the procedures could be made convenient for handgun owners.
“Several people called me and said they were supportive of a change,” he said. “If I thought the current laws would make it safer, I wouldn’t even bring up the issue.”
Mr. Reynolds said he would investigate the issue more before deciding whether he would propose making any changes.
Gary Lloyd of Alma said Saturday that he would like to see changes to the law because of the inconvenience of registering a handgun before taking possession.
For a person to buy a handgun, go to Belmont and register the handgun, and then go back and pick it up creates a hassle, he said.
“I don’t see where it is necessary,” he said.
Arnold “Arnie” Johnson of Canaseraga said he was in favor of changing the gun laws in the county.
“You can’t go to a gun show, buy a pistol and take it home,” he said.
He added that it would be easier for an individual if gun sellers were required to send the information to the Sheriff’s Department, rather than the individual presenting the information himself.
“This should be solved very easily if you’ve got a legal (handgun) permit,” he said. “It shouldn’t be difficult to buy a pistol. Most law-abiding citizens want to be law-abiding, but this law makes it difficult.”
Wellsville gun dealer Andy Bastian said handgun laws are a lot looser in other states. He had previously sold guns in Ohio before starting up the USA Gun Sales store next to the Wellsville Airport.
“I’m all for making people’s lives easier,” he said. “It’s difficult for the working man to take a day off to go to the Sheriff’s Department” to register a handgun, he said.
He added that the gun laws put extra pressure on gun dealers.
“It’s the dealer’s responsibility to make sure someone gets a handgun registered,” he said. “I don’t want my license jeopardized. My license is on the line every time a gun leaves my building.”
According to Undersheriff Reynolds, the laws are in place to ensure that handgun owners first register their handguns before taking them home. He said the same applies for purchasing a handgun from an individual.
“Whether it is a private sale or in a store, the seller has to know someone can legally possess a handgun,” he said.
If a private individual sells a handgun to another person and that person does not register the handgun, then the seller could be liable, he said.
If a person has an unregistered handgun in their home, then there is a procedure that has to be followed in order to not be charged with unlawful criminal possession of a weapon, he said.
Under the federal amnesty law, an individual must first contact their local law enforcement agency and tell them that they are surrendering an unregistered handgun. Once the handgun is surrendered, the law enforcement agency inquires about the origin of the handgun, Undersheriff Reynolds said.
If the handgun is determined to be a nuisance based on its history, it could be destroyed. If the gun’s history is clear, then the person surrendering the handgun would have the option of registering it. Even when a person changes residency to another county within New York, the handgun must be re-registered in the new county.
“This program protects people from unlawful criminal possession of a weapon,” he said. “The purpose is to encourage the removal of unlawful weapons.”
“There are illegal handguns in Allegany County,” Undersheriff Reynolds said.
County officials have not yet made any proposal to make changes to the law.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14999422&BRD=386&PAG=461&dept_id=444919&rfi=6
Allegany County’s procedures for purchasing and registering a handgun were brought into question this past week during a Public Safety Committee meeting.
Legislator Brent Reynolds, R-Alfred Station, brought up the issue of buying a handgun in the county and questioned whether the laws could be loosened to allow law-abiding gun owners to more easily purchase a handgun.
Other counties, such as Livingston County, do not require gun owners to first register a gun before taking it home, Mr. Reynolds said.
Under current laws, a person who has a gun permit in Allegany County has to register a handgun with the Allegany County Sheriff’s Department before possessing a handgun. For instance, if someone goes to a gun store and purchases a handgun, that individual has to first take the receipt and gun information to the pistol permit clerk to register the handgun and have it listed on his or her handgun permit. Then that person can take the gun home.
“You can’t leave with a gun until you lawfully register it,” said Undersheriff Denis Reynolds in a recent interview.
Legislator Reynolds said he “didn’t see where safety was an issue. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own handguns without a lot of hassle.”
Undersheriff Reynolds said he was opposed to changing the laws to loosen procedures on handgun ownership.
“The laws are in place to protect everyone. The rules that are in place are good rules,” he said.
Legislator Reynolds said that he first brought up the issue at the meeting because some of his constituents had contacted him and questioned how the procedures could be made convenient for handgun owners.
“Several people called me and said they were supportive of a change,” he said. “If I thought the current laws would make it safer, I wouldn’t even bring up the issue.”
Mr. Reynolds said he would investigate the issue more before deciding whether he would propose making any changes.
Gary Lloyd of Alma said Saturday that he would like to see changes to the law because of the inconvenience of registering a handgun before taking possession.
For a person to buy a handgun, go to Belmont and register the handgun, and then go back and pick it up creates a hassle, he said.
“I don’t see where it is necessary,” he said.
Arnold “Arnie” Johnson of Canaseraga said he was in favor of changing the gun laws in the county.
“You can’t go to a gun show, buy a pistol and take it home,” he said.
He added that it would be easier for an individual if gun sellers were required to send the information to the Sheriff’s Department, rather than the individual presenting the information himself.
“This should be solved very easily if you’ve got a legal (handgun) permit,” he said. “It shouldn’t be difficult to buy a pistol. Most law-abiding citizens want to be law-abiding, but this law makes it difficult.”
Wellsville gun dealer Andy Bastian said handgun laws are a lot looser in other states. He had previously sold guns in Ohio before starting up the USA Gun Sales store next to the Wellsville Airport.
“I’m all for making people’s lives easier,” he said. “It’s difficult for the working man to take a day off to go to the Sheriff’s Department” to register a handgun, he said.
He added that the gun laws put extra pressure on gun dealers.
“It’s the dealer’s responsibility to make sure someone gets a handgun registered,” he said. “I don’t want my license jeopardized. My license is on the line every time a gun leaves my building.”
According to Undersheriff Reynolds, the laws are in place to ensure that handgun owners first register their handguns before taking them home. He said the same applies for purchasing a handgun from an individual.
“Whether it is a private sale or in a store, the seller has to know someone can legally possess a handgun,” he said.
If a private individual sells a handgun to another person and that person does not register the handgun, then the seller could be liable, he said.
If a person has an unregistered handgun in their home, then there is a procedure that has to be followed in order to not be charged with unlawful criminal possession of a weapon, he said.
Under the federal amnesty law, an individual must first contact their local law enforcement agency and tell them that they are surrendering an unregistered handgun. Once the handgun is surrendered, the law enforcement agency inquires about the origin of the handgun, Undersheriff Reynolds said.
If the handgun is determined to be a nuisance based on its history, it could be destroyed. If the gun’s history is clear, then the person surrendering the handgun would have the option of registering it. Even when a person changes residency to another county within New York, the handgun must be re-registered in the new county.
“This program protects people from unlawful criminal possession of a weapon,” he said. “The purpose is to encourage the removal of unlawful weapons.”
“There are illegal handguns in Allegany County,” Undersheriff Reynolds said.
County officials have not yet made any proposal to make changes to the law.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14999422&BRD=386&PAG=461&dept_id=444919&rfi=6
