NYPD Sgt talkes sence

[Dangermouse]

Here is an article posted this week in the USA. It has some good points and some might say that this is what the law abiding shooting public have been saying for years.

I have purposely not used the Subject - NYPD sergeant: Equipping police more effective than weapons ban as I did not want to wake that argument again which has been done to death and we do not all agree on.

http://www.myfoxal.com/story/21287179/n ... eapons-ban

Posted: Feb 20, 2013 6:01 PM
Updated: Feb 21, 2013 6:49 PM
By Derrick Chengery - email

The government is considering reinstating the Federal Assault Weapons Ban that expired in 2004.

Sgt. Ed Mullins is the director of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, a collective bargaining unit for New York Police Department sergeants during contract negotiations. (Source: Sergeants Benevolent Association)

Selling Bushmaster AR-15 rifles was previously outlawed under the Assault Weapons Ban. Production of the gun resumed after the ban expired. (Source: C. Hunter/Outdoors Trader)(RNN) - During President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, members of both political parties showed support for some form of gun control.

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The president's remarks alluded to reinstating the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 that expired nine years ago.

A recent Pew Research Center poll shows that 55 percent of Americans think similarly to Obama and support a ban on assault weapons.

"Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off our streets, because they are tired of being outgunned," Obama said.

Sgt. Ed Mullins of the New York Police Department is a 30-year veteran of the force and the president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association. He said the assault weapons ban didn't make a significant dent in crime on the nation's busiest streets.

"I didn't see a difference at all. I didn't see fewer guns on the street and I didn't see more types of assault weapons on the street after the ban was lifted," Mullins said. "There's really no way of telling [if it made a difference] because the criminal activity just hasn't changed."

The ban was originally spearheaded by Democrats in an effort to create a 10-year prohibition of certain semi-automatic weapons from 1994 to 2004. Lawmakers hoped it would reduce crime on the street.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy that left 20 children and seven adults dead, much of the assault weapons ban debate has focused on semi-automatic rifles.

The ban previously put restrictions semi-automatic rifles that used detachable magazine and had folding stocks, bayonet mounts, flash guards, pistol grips and rifle grenades.

Despite Obama's call to restore the assault weapons ban, his critics remain skeptical that it will make an impact on crime statistics.

Mullins believes one reason the ban didn't deter crime is because the guns included in the ban are typically in the hands of "law abiding people."

"[Assault weapons owners] are not the ones committing the crimes. We don't see the everyday hardworking person being the one who just went out and shot up a school or shot up a bank," he said.


The types of firearms used by most criminals are handguns that wouldn't necessarily be outlawed by reinstating the assault weapons ban.

The ban restricted semi-automatic pistols with detachable magazines that also have a second pistol grip, a threaded barrel, a barrel shroud and a detachable magazine that extends outside of the pistol grip.

Today, gun laws in many states allow individuals to purchase a handgun in less than an hour, making it easier to get firearms than a driver's license.

"To get a driver's license, you've got to take a class, you've got to take a road test and there's all types of documentation that needs to be put into place," Mullins argued. "The real issue comes at a federal level as far as mandating gun dealers to have background checks and require detailed paperwork."

Despite Obama's claim that officers are up against more powerful firearms, Mullins said a better way to protect officers is to provide them an extra weapon.

"I just feel that every patrol car should have some kind of a rifle or shotgun available, only for the potential that things happen. Should there be a rare occasion you need it, it's there," Mullins added.

Most major police unions have not taken a strong legislative stance on the assault weapons ban.

The largest national police union, the Fraternal Order of Police, has not supported congressional action concerning the ban, but rather focused their legislative goals elsewhere.

Aside from urging lawmakers to make it easier for off-duty and retired police officers to carry weapons without permits, former FOP legislative support included a bill called the "Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act of 2011" that would have allowed "individuals, veterans, law enforcement officers and law enforcement agencies to register firearms they possess which were prohibited by the enactment of the Gun Control Act of 1968."

Previous FOP-supported legislation also included a 2001 bill aimed at allowing people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to own a firearm if the conviction occurred before the law prohibiting them to own guns went into effect.

Both bills died in committee, meaning congressmen decided not to discuss them.

Although Mullins personally doesn't see a need for assault weapons like AK-47s, he noted that he could understand how people may use them in shooting competitions. However, he said owners should be held to strict storage guidelines to prevent cases like the Newtown tragedy.

"[A gun owner] may have a person in their house that might not be mentally stable, but it might make sense for you to have a gun," Mullins said. "But the penalty for not securing that weapon should be extreme, knowing that I'm jeopardizing other people's lives."

[Chuck]

"Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off our streets, because they are tired of being outgunned," Obama said

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Only they aren't on the streets and (as said) if people actually STORED them away then the loonytunes woud be less likely to go mental with them...Figures suggest most prolific caliber in murdrs is ..........................22LR!

"I just feel that every patrol car should have some kind of a rifle or shotgun available, only for the potential that things happen. Should there be a rare occasion you need it, it's there," Mullins added

. Just like people should have maybe.

Good article.

[Chuck]

Interesting:

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/8806 Only BAD news please

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/8800 Some sheriffs have right the idea.

[Jnadreth]

Whats really telling is that the Armed Police in the UK have access to far better weapons than the NYPD ever has (Exlcuding SWAT as they are really Police Special Forces while the UK Armed Police dont have the same combat type training)...they have MP5s, G36c's, P-90's, G3 Battle Rifles and who knows what else. If the NYPD had MP5s as standard issue to every patrol car or even M4 Carbines....I think many would be disuaded from engaging them in a firefight. The only reason why the criminals do right now is that they know they have the Police outgunned as the Sgt in the article states

[saddler]

Whats really telling is that the Armed Police in the UK have access to far better weapons than the NYPD ever has (Exlcuding SWAT as they are really Police Special Forces while the UK Armed Police dont have the same combat type training)...they have MP5s, G36c's, P-90's, G3 Battle Rifles and who knows what else. If the NYPD had MP5s as standard issue to every patrol car or even M4 Carbines....I think many would be disuaded from engaging them in a firefight. The only reason why the criminals do right now is that they know they have the Police outgunned as the Sgt in the article states

...have you not seen the recent footage where 2 NYPD officers open fire on a suspect & shoot several passers by instead?

The problem WITH the NYPD IS the NYPD

statistically they are the worst shots on 2 legs...it's almost as if not being able to hit a cow on the arse with a banjo at 3 paces was part of the hiring process...

[Chuck]

Seems a common occurrence with NYPD, they even made the qualifier targets larger (NO joke) so their cops could hit them. Then again in an anti gun state is their training budget a real priority.

[Jnadreth]

Whats really telling is that the Armed Police in the UK have access to far better weapons than the NYPD ever has (Exlcuding SWAT as they are really Police Special Forces while the UK Armed Police dont have the same combat type training)...they have MP5s, G36c's, P-90's, G3 Battle Rifles and who knows what else. If the NYPD had MP5s as standard issue to every patrol car or even M4 Carbines....I think many would be disuaded from engaging them in a firefight. The only reason why the criminals do right now is that they know they have the Police outgunned as the Sgt in the article states

...have you not seen the recent footage where 2 NYPD officers open fire on a suspect & shoot several passers by instead?

The problem WITH the NYPD IS the NYPD

statistically they are the worst shots on 2 legs...it's almost as if not being able to hit a cow on the arse with a banjo at 3 paces was part of the hiring process...

OK...I did not know the NYPD were that incompetant with firearms sign01 I would have expected a certain standard off accuracy.

[Dahonis]

They live in a "trigger happy" state where the vast majority of criminals carry illegal firearms, from your low down bag snatcher to your crack peddling teenage wannabe drug dealer on a BMX.

Rule number one, better to be tried by 12, than carried by six. Those military people people who have done tours in N.I, Iraq / Afgan will tell you this.

I'm so please my children do not have to live in a place like America, yep, it's not all bad, but with that many people with licensed and illegal firearms on the streets everyday, wow, somethings got to give.

NYPD and LAPD need to have better and bigger firearms, but before all that much better training. Not my biased thoughts, if you ever meet them go ahead and ask them about the training they recieve on firearms. It would be laughable if not a serious point.

Regards

Chris

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[Sim G]

Seems to me that in the article, Mullins is calling for heavier firepower for the police but greater controls on civilians.....

[Dahonis]

The Americans do have a passion for firearms, that will be a hard task to control them.....just so many licensed firearms out there !