Emanuel wants gun registration throughout Illinois
Comments (...)CHICAGO (AP) — Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed statewide legislation Thursday to require handgun owners to register their weapons, calling it a common sense measure that would protect the rights of responsible gun owners while keeping illegal firearms off the streets.
The city of Chicago requires all handgun owners to register their guns with police, but the state of Illinois does not. A statewide registry would help the Chicago Police Department follow the chain of possession for guns found at Chicago crime scenes that originate in other parts of Illinois, the mayor's office said. It is also aimed at reducing the transfer of illegal firearms.
Emanuel said just over half of what he called "short time-to-crime guns" recovered at Chicago crime scenes come from parts of Illinois outside the city.
"A state law requiring handgun owners to register their guns — just like they register their cars — will increase the safety of our residents," Emanuel said.
The bill has the backing of Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who said it would help keep residents safe and ensure responsible gun ownership throughout the state.
The legislation is intended to prevent the illegal transfer of guns by requiring owners to contact police if their gun is lost or stolen. Sellers would have to report all handgun sales and transfers, and buyers would have proof they are not paying for a stolen gun.
"It will create accountability for gun owners and firearms dealers to ensure that they act in a responsible manner in order to keep guns from falling into the hands of criminals," McCarthy said.
The bill is undergoing a final review and will be filed in the coming weeks.
Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, called Emanuel's proposal "preposterous" and said it was an infringement on the rights of gun owners.
"He's just trying to cover up the fact that he has a crime problem," Pearson said.
He also said the $65 registration fee would be costly for those who own multiple handguns and he contended that the registry would do nothing to reduce crime.
"It won't. Only the criminals will have firearms and I'm sure they're going to rush right down and register them because the mayor wants them to, right?" Pearson said.
Comments
Total Comments 2 View/Add Comments |
Most Recent Comment wrote on ...
"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty. So let's not have any native militia or native police. German troops alone will bear the sole responsibility for the maintenance of law and order throughout the occupied Russian territories, and a system of military strong-points must be evolved to cover the entire occupied country." --Adolf Hitler, dinner talk on April 11, 1942, quoted in Hitler's Table Talk 1941-44: His Private Conversations, Second Edition (1973) |
