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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:48 pm
Time: 8:48 pm
Results for guns (new york)
1 results foundAuthor: Drake, Greg Title: Recommendations for Addressing the Problem of Illegal Transfer of Guns, including Straw Purchases in Monroe County, New York Summary: Violence in Rochester, New York, has been a serious problem for its citizens, with a homicide per capita rate hovering at about 25 per 100,000 persons since 2005 and violent crime rates at about 900 incidents per 100,000 persons since 2003 (UCR for Rochester, N.Y.). In 2007, 36 of the 50 (72%) of homicides and 858 of 2352 (36.5%) of violent crimes in Rochester involved the use of a firearm (UCR for Rochester, N.Y.). Research has also shown each year there are approximately 250 victims of shootings in Monroe County. Even apart from the problem of homicide, the non-fatal shootings result in medical costs of approximately $3.3 million. Of that approximately $2.6 million is not recovered because so many victims have no insurance of any kind and cannot otherwise pay their bill. The unrecovered costs are ultimately passed on to the general population through higher medical bills, higher insurance premiums and a State indigent care pool. A significant portion of the local problem of gun violence is attributable to the illegal transfer of guns from lawful owners to illegal gun users. These may include Straw Purchases which involve a legal gun buyer purchasing a weapon on behalf of a person prohibited by law from owning a gun. In New York other illicit transfers may also involve a purchase by a legitimate permit holder who gives the weapon to someone who does not register it on their own pistol permit. A review of guns seized by the Rochester Police shows that nearly half of all guns used in crimes were illegally possessed at the time of the crime: That is, the possessor of the gun did not have a permit for the weapon and/or was a person prohibited by law from possessing the gun. Additionally, in the study 7% of guns had serial numbers that were obliterated or defaced. Finally, 15% of the crime guns had been reported stolen. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives local tracing data also show that most guns used in crime come from the local area rather than being smuggled in from other states. In summary, the data show that a large number of guns used in crimes are, at one time or another, transferred, perhaps through theft or illegal intention, from legal owners to illegal possessors of the weapon. Any successful efforts to reduce the illegal transfer of weapons can have a significant impact on local gun violence and the enormous costs born by the local community. We will begin this paper by examining federal, state and local laws dealing with gun ownership. We will also briefly discuss straw purchases. That is followed by a description of the legal process in Monroe County for the ownership and possession of pistols. That includes a review of some recent case law. This is followed by a review of a program in Los Angeles that was designed to reduce straw purchases. Finally, the paper presents five recommendations for programs that could reduce the incidence of transfer of weapons from legal to illegal possessors. Details: Rochester, NY: Center for Public Safety Initiatives, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2009. 32p. Source: Working Paper # 2009-18: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2012 at http://www.rit.edu/cla/cpsi/WorkingPapers/2009/2009-18.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.rit.edu/cla/cpsi/WorkingPapers/2009/2009-18.pdf Shelf Number: 125213 Keywords: Costs of CrimeGun Control (New York)Guns (New York)Illegal Weapons (New York) |