STEUBEN COUNTY — New York State’s SAFE Act, a comprehensive new gun law, has been the topic of discussion just about everywhere since the legislature passed it on Jan. 15. The act has put strict regulations on the specifications of a gun, the amount of bullets allowed to be in the gun and who can obtain a firearm. It also requires better background checks as well as more frequent recertification of a legally owned gun.
Steuben County sheriff David Cole has released a statement voicing his displeasure about the act. Cole said the new legislation will only regulate the guns legally owned by law abiding citizens with no previous criminal record.
“These laws will now make it so thousands and thousands of law abiding citizens ... will now be considered criminals if they choose to stand up to their Second Amendment Right guaranteed under the US Constitution,” Cole said in the prepared statement.
Cole believes the act was passed too quickly and has left some of the new components of the laws unclear. “These new laws were hastily constructed with no provisions or protocol for the implementation or prosecution of the law,” Cole said. “There is real concern for all law agencies having to enforce the new laws and having to interpret them.”
The Deputies Association of the County of Steuben has also released a statement in which they publicly state they stand behind their sheriff in his opinion of the SAFE Act.
“The Deputies Association of the County of Steuben...have unanimously voted to come out publicly in support of Sheriff David V. Cole in his recent public statement in regards to the NY Safe Act of 2013.”
The new legislation was enacted under the pretense of lessening gun violence in places that should be gun-free. The SAFE Act, according to the Deputies Association, was pushed through the legislative process so quickly that it doesn’t address these issues. “We also feel that this new legislation falls short of the expected goals in the area of firearm safety and education, protection in our school systems, and the other venues that are currently available to criminals who pose a danger to society,” the statement said.
The members of the Deputies Association feel it is their duty to protect the rights of Steuben county citizens. They believe the SAFE Act contradicts many of the citizen’s freedoms and rights provided to them in the Constitution.
STEUBEN COUNTY — New York State’s SAFE Act, a comprehensive new gun law, has been the topic of discussion just about everywhere since the legislature passed it on Jan. 15. The act has put strict regulations on the specifications of a gun, the amount of bullets allowed to be in the gun and who can obtain a firearm. It also requires better background checks as well as more frequent recertification of a legally owned gun.
Steuben County sheriff David Cole has released a statement voicing his displeasure about the act. Cole said the new legislation will only regulate the guns legally owned by law abiding citizens with no previous criminal record.
“These laws will now make it so thousands and thousands of law abiding citizens ... will now be considered criminals if they choose to stand up to their Second Amendment Right guaranteed under the US Constitution,” Cole said in the prepared statement.
Cole believes the act was passed too quickly and has left some of the new components of the laws unclear. “These new laws were hastily constructed with no provisions or protocol for the implementation or prosecution of the law,” Cole said. “There is real concern for all law agencies having to enforce the new laws and having to interpret them.”
The Deputies Association of the County of Steuben has also released a statement in which they publicly state they stand behind their sheriff in his opinion of the SAFE Act.
“The Deputies Association of the County of Steuben...have unanimously voted to come out publicly in support of Sheriff David V. Cole in his recent public statement in regards to the NY Safe Act of 2013.”
The new legislation was enacted under the pretense of lessening gun violence in places that should be gun-free. The SAFE Act, according to the Deputies Association, was pushed through the legislative process so quickly that it doesn’t address these issues. “We also feel that this new legislation falls short of the expected goals in the area of firearm safety and education, protection in our school systems, and the other venues that are currently available to criminals who pose a danger to society,” the statement said.
The members of the Deputies Association feel it is their duty to protect the rights of Steuben county citizens. They believe the SAFE Act contradicts many of the citizen’s freedoms and rights provided to them in the Constitution.
The Deputies Association is adamant in completing their duties as officers while still preserving the rights of the people. Their statement claims “...it is not the intention of any member of our Association to deprive any law abiding citizen their right to possess any legally owned firearm that has not committed another crime as defined by the current laws of the State of New York.”
Senior Investigator Eric Tyner said the members of the Deputy Association are under oath to uphold the laws of New York state. There is, however, a certain degree of officer discretion, the officers will do what they believe is right while still following the law.
To put the Deputies Association statement into perspective, Tyner used a common example. “Hundreds of people get pulled over for speeding everyday,” he said. “Not every one of them gets a speeding ticket, some are issued a warning.”
To read the full statements of both Sheriff Cole and the Deputies Association, log on to www.facebook.com/SteubenCSO.
