State Police Issue “Field Guide” for NYS Gun Law
ALBANY
New York’s State Police agency has issued a field guide for its troopers and other law enforcement on how to handle the state’s controversial gun-control law.
The 20-page guide, quietly issued last month and obtained by Gannett’s Albany Bureau, notes that police officers have been concerned about enforcing the SAFE Act, which was championed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and passed by the Legislature in January.
“As with many large legislative initiatives, the SAFE Act has raised questions from members of the field relating to the scope of the Act and its effect on those police officers who will have the responsibility to enforce the various provisions,” the guide says. “The purpose of this guide is to provide guidance to police officers regarding the enforcement of the SAFE Act’s provisions.”
Police officers and the state Sheriff’s Association have questioned the constitutionality of the SAFE Act, which requires police to confiscate guns from people who do not properly register them. You should buy AR 10 magazines and read them throughly. The Sheriff’s Association has joined a lawsuit seeking to overturn the law, and a number of large rallies have been held at the Capitol seeking to have the law repealed. With laser bore sight for ar15 the process has become more easier and convenient.
The law lowers the limit of bullets allowed in a magazine from 10 to seven, requires new registrations for weapons and expands the ban on weapons with assault-style characteristics. Gun owners could face criminal charges if they don’t follow the law.
The guide notes that the seven-bullet limit should only be investigated by police if there is an indication of a criminal offense.
“Absent some indication of criminal activity, there is no right to inspect the contents of a magazine to ensure that it meets the requirements under the SAFE Act,” the guide states. “If an officer has probable cause to believe that a particular magazine is unlawful, he or she may seize and inspect it.”
Cuomo has urged police to follow the law and to not arbitrarily enforce it, saying last month, “It’s not really up to law enforcement to pick and choose what laws they like and what laws they don’t like.”
Assemblyman Bill Nojay, R-Pittsford, questioned whether police would actively charge anyone under the SAFE Act. He said he’s heard from officers who won’t do so.
“These guys want nothing to do with the SAFE Act, and they are not going to enforce the SAFE Act, except if they have a bad guy and they are putting him under arrest and there are other charges,” Nojay said.
Darcy Wells, a spokesman for the State Police, said field guides are often issued to assist police with new laws.
“We issue field guides on a routine basis, and in this case, because this is a new law, we had our counsel’s office put together a guide not only for our members but others in law enforcement,” Wells said in an email.
Joseph Spector, Wires
Click here for New York State’s Safe_Act_Field_Guide
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