In all the recent talk about gun control and weapons laws, a new device being tested by the New York City Police Department won’t likely get much resistance. It’s a high-tech gadget that scans through your clothes and can apparently identify whether or not you are carrying a gun. It’s called a T-Ray machine, and despite some pretty obvious privacy concerns, even the New York Civil Liberties Union thinks it might have some redeeming qualities. Continue reading “NYPD Testing Device That Scans Body for Guns”
Do NYC Cops Get Enough Firearms Training?
The majority of police officers will never fire their gun in a real-life scenario. Most of the time, it will rest on their hip. It’s because of this that NYPD officials think their officers don’t need a whole lot of training. A few days in retraining each year should be enough—but, is it? Continue reading “Do NYC Cops Get Enough Firearms Training?”
NYPD Developing Radiation Technology to Scan People for Guns
Radiation scanners mounted on squad cars seems like a scene out of a futuristic science fiction movie. But, if the NYPD and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly have their way, it will be a reality sooner than you might think. The agency is working to develop a system of scanners that will identify people on the street who might be strapped with a firearm. While it’s all done in the name of public safety, one has to wonder if the end justifies the means. Continue reading “NYPD Developing Radiation Technology to Scan People for Guns”
Manhattan Arrests for Drugs, Guns
An undercover officer with the NYPD went on a shopping spree of sorts over the past several months, according to the Daily News, buying drugs and guns in an effort to take down a ring operating in very close proximity to a school. Continue reading “Manhattan Arrests for Drugs, Guns”
Plaxico Burress Violates New York Gun Laws
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm is the most commonly charged New York weapons offense and it is the one that had taken NFL star Plaxico Burress out of the game for some time. Continue reading “Plaxico Burress Violates New York Gun Laws”
The Journey of a Gun In NYC
A weapon responsible for the shooting of an NYC police officer has had its roots examined in this interesting piece from the New York Times. A journey in the life of an old revolver shows just how a weapon can go from legitimately owned firearm to a weapons charge. Continue reading “The Journey of a Gun In NYC”
New York Gun Buy-Back Programs: Effective or Just a “Nice Symbolic Effort”?
Gun buyback programs gained popularity in the violent crime waves of the1980s. Some communities continue to use this as a program to keep firearms off the streets. But do these programs really reduce violent crimes or are they simply a “symbolic” gesture by law enforcement?
It’s true that offering $200 for a weapon will likely draw people to bring in their firearms. But, more interestingly, how many of these people are bringing in all of their weapons and how many are simply bringing in the ones they don’t have a desire to use anymore? It is difficult to measure the actual effectiveness of these programs and there are differing opinions about their effectiveness.
Law enforcement typically says that these programs do work. Any firearm they collect is a firearm not being used on the street. The likelihood that the firearms turned in would have been used in a violent crime is probably very rare. According to this article at Newsday.com, some people feel that these programs simply make people “feel good” but do little to combat crime.
A study of the programs was done at the University of California at Davis which found that buyback programs only netted 1-2% of total guns and those bought were rarely guns that would’ve been used in the commission of a crime.
Continue reading “New York Gun Buy-Back Programs: Effective or Just a “Nice Symbolic Effort”?”