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How many other Posts are doing this?
Fort Drum calls weapons amnesty, urges residents to come clean
By Paul Steven Ghiringhelli
Staff Writer
Adults who live on post and possess an unregistered weapon have until January to dig through their closets and comply with Fort Drum regulations.
Officials here are urging all Soldiers and Family Members who live on post to register their firearms, or surrender unregistered firearms, during a special weapons amnesty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Jan. 19 at the Military Police Station.
The program is aimed at reducing the number of unaccounted-for guns on post by pardoning residents who thus far have not complied.
Soldiers and Family Members residing off post are not required to register weapons on Fort Drum, but they must abide by New York State gun registration laws. Post officials said Soldiers and Family Members off post should apply for state registration by contacting the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 786-2711.
It’s the first time in at least 15 years that the amnesty initiative is offered on the installation, according to Chief Todd Julian, chief of law enforcement for Directorate of Emergency Services, which is sponsoring the Fort Drum Weapons Amnesty Days.
Julian said Fort Drum Regulation 190-6 requires all incoming residents to register their privately owned firearm, whether a handgun or a long gun, within 72 hours of arrival.
He said the fast-paced environment of an infantry division could explain noncompliance statuses of some.
“Deployments are really big here,” Julian said. “I think that’s probably the biggest problem, as far as why someone wouldn’t come into compliance with the regulation.”
Because gun laws in New York state are different and separate from the upcoming weapons amnesty on post, Julian said handguns and automatic weapons registered Tuesday or Jan. 19 will be impounded if owners don’t have a New York state permit. (State law does not require a permit for non-automatic long guns.)
“If it’s not registered in New York state, they’ll have to either leave the weapon with us or have one of the armorers from their unit come and sign for the weapon, until it’s (properly) registered with the state,” Julian said.
“We’ll give them the information that they need to get that done,” he added.
Although he acknowledged the initiative may not be 100 percent successful, Julian said the weapons amnesty is still worthwhile from a law enforcement perspective.
“We’re never going to know what we have, because there’s stuff out there that people don’t (want us to know),” he said. “But the more that we do know, it just gives us a little more control and knowledge of what’s out there, especially in the housing (areas) on the installation.”
He said his experience shows that owners of registered guns commit less crime than owners of unregistered guns. He added that crimes on post involving a firearm typically occur with an unregistered weapon.
The amnesty program does not exempt participating gun owners from legal action if they were party to a crime, or from violations of New York State Penal Law, applicable federal law or the Uniform Code of Military Justice concerning the trafficking, sale, use of the weapon, or possession off of the Fort Drum installation.
Soldiers not in compliance with Fort Drum weapons regulations could face punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Fort Drum calls weapons amnesty, urges residents to come clean
By Paul Steven Ghiringhelli
Staff Writer
Adults who live on post and possess an unregistered weapon have until January to dig through their closets and comply with Fort Drum regulations.
Officials here are urging all Soldiers and Family Members who live on post to register their firearms, or surrender unregistered firearms, during a special weapons amnesty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Jan. 19 at the Military Police Station.
The program is aimed at reducing the number of unaccounted-for guns on post by pardoning residents who thus far have not complied.
Soldiers and Family Members residing off post are not required to register weapons on Fort Drum, but they must abide by New York State gun registration laws. Post officials said Soldiers and Family Members off post should apply for state registration by contacting the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 786-2711.
It’s the first time in at least 15 years that the amnesty initiative is offered on the installation, according to Chief Todd Julian, chief of law enforcement for Directorate of Emergency Services, which is sponsoring the Fort Drum Weapons Amnesty Days.
Julian said Fort Drum Regulation 190-6 requires all incoming residents to register their privately owned firearm, whether a handgun or a long gun, within 72 hours of arrival.
He said the fast-paced environment of an infantry division could explain noncompliance statuses of some.
“Deployments are really big here,” Julian said. “I think that’s probably the biggest problem, as far as why someone wouldn’t come into compliance with the regulation.”
Because gun laws in New York state are different and separate from the upcoming weapons amnesty on post, Julian said handguns and automatic weapons registered Tuesday or Jan. 19 will be impounded if owners don’t have a New York state permit. (State law does not require a permit for non-automatic long guns.)
“If it’s not registered in New York state, they’ll have to either leave the weapon with us or have one of the armorers from their unit come and sign for the weapon, until it’s (properly) registered with the state,” Julian said.
“We’ll give them the information that they need to get that done,” he added.
Although he acknowledged the initiative may not be 100 percent successful, Julian said the weapons amnesty is still worthwhile from a law enforcement perspective.
“We’re never going to know what we have, because there’s stuff out there that people don’t (want us to know),” he said. “But the more that we do know, it just gives us a little more control and knowledge of what’s out there, especially in the housing (areas) on the installation.”
He said his experience shows that owners of registered guns commit less crime than owners of unregistered guns. He added that crimes on post involving a firearm typically occur with an unregistered weapon.
The amnesty program does not exempt participating gun owners from legal action if they were party to a crime, or from violations of New York State Penal Law, applicable federal law or the Uniform Code of Military Justice concerning the trafficking, sale, use of the weapon, or possession off of the Fort Drum installation.
Soldiers not in compliance with Fort Drum weapons regulations could face punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.