Calif. agents seize 1,200 firearms from people who cannot legally own them, say 34,000 remain

[jpak]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/calif-agents-seize-1200-firearms-from-people-who-cannot-legally-own-them-say-34000-remain/2011/06/16/AGBRA1XH_story.html

California law enforcement agents have seized 1,200 firearms from people who cannot legally own them because of mental illness or restraining orders.

However, Attorney General Kamala Harris said Thursday that more than 34,000 handguns and nearly 1,600 assault weapons are still believed to be held statewide by people who should not have them.

<snip>

“They were known to be a danger to themselves or society,” Harris said. “We obviously have put a dent in that, but there is a lot more work to do.”

She used a news conference at the California Highway Patrol’s Sacramento headquarters to promote SB819, a bill that would expand the use of a $25 registration fee collected by gun dealers to pay for the department’s Armed and Prohibited Persons System.

<more>

[MH1]

1. 1200 out of 34,000 is more of a ding than a dent.

it's good they're making an effort.

[ileus]

2. It's a start...I'd like to know if their numbers are real for the remaining ones.

34k handguns is a pile....even for Ca.

[gejohnston]

3. so the ones with restraining orders or felony convictions are going to tried in federal court right?

why have a law when you don't seriously enforce it

[rl6214]

4. And your point?

Oh yeah, government gun confiscation begins.

[Straw Man]

5. From your link...

It has found nearly 18,000 people who shouldn’t have weapons. However, Harris said local law enforcement and state agents don’t have the time or personnel to track down their addresses and conduct the high-security operations needed to safely seize the guns from people who are presumed to be dangerous.

Translation: "We haven't been enforcing the law." Nevertheless, their standard response to crimes of violence has been to call for new laws.

[petronius]

7. I think that's an excellent point. It's a common refrain from RKBA advocates that our

firs step should be enforcing existing law, and this is a prime example. It would also be interesting to know whether any of those flagged persons committed fire-arms related acts of violence or criminality after being identified...

[lawodevolution]

6. Just unrecing the garbage threads

[Tejas]

8. CA has a $5.5mil surplus, but wants ANOTHER $25 added to every sale.

The bill being carried by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, would let Harris seek to use nearly $1 million from a $5.5 million surplus in the registration fee account to train local police and hire five more state agents to aid the 20 already assigned to the firearms program.

“Resources are needed to do this type of work,” Leno said against a backdrop of seized weapons. “How many lives are going to be saved?”



This is your money at work in the WAR on GUNS.

[Nailzberg]

9. If I understand the article, there are adequate laws in place but they aren't being enforced.

And adding more laws to the books will do what exactly?