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Main Page Lose Your Gun? Hartford Could Sue You
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: kwflatbed

Ordinance Targets Gun Owners Who Fail To Report Lost, Stolen Guns

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Hartford officials have given city lawyers the authority to sue state residents who fail to report their guns have been lost or stolen.

The City Council approved an ordinance on Monday that gives the city the power to sue any state resident who fails to report a missing gun which is then used in a crime in Hartford.

The ordinance requires gun owners to report lost or stolen guns to the police within 72 hours, or face civil penalties.
Mayor Eddie Perez first announced the proposal during his state of the city address in March when he spoke about gun violence on city streets.

Perez and members of the council decided they could not wait for legislation pending at the General Assembly to help control the problem.

"It is a problem we wanted to address, and this is one step in the right direction," Perez said Monday. "We hope it will be strengthened at the state level, so we can continue to deal with illegal guns in our city."

The ordinance gives the city the power to sue any Connecticut resident whose stolen or lost gun is not reported and is then used in a crime in Hartford.

Hartford recorded 164 shooting incidents in 2006. Police say many of the shooting incidents involve illegal guns, including confiscated firearms whose owners later claim were stolen.

City officials also hope the new local law will help the city's lawyers pursue "straw buyers," who buy weapons legally and then turn them over to people who cannot legally own a gun.

The city's ordinance will also empower the city's lawyers to attempt to recover some of the costs incurred by the police in connection with many shooting cases, city officials said.

http://www.wfsb.com/news/13321505/detail.html

Posted by: justanotherparatrooper

lets see....you sue someone for having a firearm stolen,how do you prove when they knew it was missing? and I believe its a felony under federal law to straw purchase a firearm.

Posted by: CJmajor27

Quote:

Originally Posted by justanotherparatrooper

lets see....you sue someone for having a firearm stolen,how do you prove when they knew it was missing? and I believe its a felony under federal law to straw purchase a firearm.

I would think anyone who has their firearm stolen would know at least within a day. If that weapon is soo hidden that they don't know what happened to it for 3 days, then it calls into question the personal responsiblity of said owner. What's the point of having a weapon in the home and not realising whats happened to it or where it is. Such owners surely can't retrieve such said weapon in time if they needed it to defend their families, or prevent a curious child from finding it.

Posted by: SOT

Dumb and dumber.

I have a house in another state. I keep firearms locked up up there. In a safe etc, sometimes I do not go there for a couple weeks to a couple months....
so now if someone breaks in and steals my gun because it could have been stolen a minth prior to finding out?

Am I a bad gun owner?

Straw purchases of firearms is already ILLEGAL...

Posted by: CJmajor27

No you aren't, but I'm sure at that other house there is either someone there or someone who checks on its from time to time if no one stays there. With that, I'm sure if someone broke into that house and broke into that safe, one way or another you'll find out soon enough and not when the cops call you days or weeks or months later to tell you your gun was used in a crime. There's exceptions to everything so I'm sure there'll be extenuating circumstances.

Posted by: justanotherparatrooper

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJmajor27

Thank God I live in Nh... In this state if someone breaks into your house and steals a firearm its theyre fault not the homeowners.I know many hunters who only occasionaly take theyre rifles and pistols out and dont inventory theyre fireams every other day! Imagine that, they put something away in theyre domicile and expect it to be there when they chose to get it.Not every gun owner keeps a gun for self defense and they shouldnt be forced through legislation and threats of lawsuits to have to secure theyre property to some government standard.

Posted by: Otto

They are suing the victim of a crime. By the same principle, if my car was stolen while I was on vacation and the thief ran someone over and killed them, I should be held financially responsible.

It is just another unprincipled anti- gun owner piece of legislation.

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