AVAILABILITY AND ILLEGAL USE OF HANDGUNS IN NEW YORK STATE - STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN HOWARD SHAPIRO ON BEHALF OF THE NEW YORK STATE COMMISSION OF INVESTIGATION AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING

• NCJ Number: 14543
• Author(s): H SHAPIRO
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 26 pages
• Corporate Author: New York State
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SPEECH ON HOW THE EASY AVAILABILITY OF HANDGUNS AFFECTS CRIME RATES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Abstract

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NEW YORK CITY AND STATE GUN CONTROL LAWS AND THE WAYS IN WHICH THESE LAWS ARE APPLIED ARE EXAMINED. A STUDY OF THE DISPOSITION OF ILLEGAL HANDGUN POSSESSION CASES SHOWED THAT MOST (85 PER CENT) PERSONS ARRESTED AND CONVICTED RECEIVE NO SENTENCE OF IMPRISONMENT, EVEN THOUGH NEW YORK HAS THE STRICTEST GUN CONTROL LAWS IN THE COUNTRY. SPECIFIC CASES ARE CITED TO ILLUSTRATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM. SHAPIRO RECOMMENDS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PASS LEGISLATION TO CONTROL THE MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF ALL HANDGUNS. THIS WOULD CONTROL THE INTERSTATE FLOW OF ILLEGAL HANDGUNS, A MAJOR PROBLEM IN NEW YORK CITY. THIS PROPOSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION WOULD REQUIRE A BAN ON THE MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF 'SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIALS', LICENSING OF ALL PERSONS WHO OWN OR PURCHASE HANDGUNS, AND REGISTRATION OF EVERY HANDGUN IN THE UNITED STATES.