SAFE Act Numbers Finally Released! NY State Gun Owners Give A Collective Middle Finger To Albany

Jun 23, 2015 | 0 comments

New York SAFE Act gun registration numbers are released

By Timesunion.com

Since New York’s SAFE Act gun control law went into effect in January 2013, a total of 23,847 people have applied to register their newly defined assault-style weapons with the State Police.

 

The statistics, hidden from the public for more than a year by state officials, were given to Rochester-area lawyer Paloma Capanna on Monday in response to a lawsuit she filed on behalf of radio host Bill Robinson.

 

The data had been withheld by the State Police despite a flurry of requests — from members of the media as well as citizens — under the state’s Freedom of Information Law. In its rejections, the state pointed to language in the law that made the contents of the registration database exempt from public disclosure.

 

The administration in NY knew that the numbers of those who followed the law to register their “assault weapons” was embarrassingly low.

They hid behind the imaginary clauses and wordings in the law to prevent the numbers from getting out.

It took lawsuits, court orders, and a lot of political pressure for the Governors office to finally release the information; and now we know why they hid them.

Prior to the law going into effect, it was estimated by Forbes that more than one million guns in NY are classified as assault weapons.

When you do the math, that means that less than 5% of “Assault Weapons” in New York State have actually been registered.

NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo addresses the audience during the NY Safe Act signing ceremony at City Hall in Rochester Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. Cuomo signed into law on Tuesday legislation that tightens a ban on assault-style rifles, calls for background checks on ammunition purchases, outlaws large-capacity magazines and tries to keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill people deemed to be a threat. (AP Photo/Democrat & Chronicle, Shawn Dowd) MAGS OUT; NO SALES

This is an absolute nightmare scenario for Governor Cuomo and his administration. They passed this law saying that New York’ers were behind it. That people would follow the law.

Now we know that not only was this law vocally opposed by NY State gun owners, but defiantly refused as well.

By refusing to obey, NY gun owners have essentially neutered the SAFE Act.

All of the gun owners who have refused to register their weapons are now supposed to be felons under the law.

We know, however, that not only is this condition of the law unenforceable, but that many NY State Sheriff departments and local police refuse to enforce the SAFE Act. 

It is perhaps the outspoken cooperation of such Sheriffs that helped instill confidence in NY State gun owners to not comply with the ridiculous demands of the SAFE Act.

The question that remains now is what will Cuomo and his gang do?

They have been outed and embarrassed publicly by these numbers. Do they rethink the SAFE Act or do they push to enforce it with an iron will?

As a former NYer living in NY when the SAFE Act was passed, we all knew that Cuomo was rushing to get this legislation passed to be seen as a national leader. The entire charade was motivated by his presidential ambitions.

I find it fitting that the very legislation that he tyrannically imposed on lawful NY State Gun owners as is his meal ticket to the White House has undone any chance that he will ever find residence in the Oval Office.