California Gun Confiscation Program Heralded As Model For Nation

[SecularMotion]

California is the only U.S. state where law enforcement officials confiscate guns from the homes of individuals not legally permitted to own them. The program, which takes guns away from criminals and the mentally ill, is being heralded as a model for the nation.

Individuals who legally purchased guns but are now disqualified are identified by analysts who match gun sales back to 1996 with databases listing criminal convictions, restraining orders and mental health detentions, UPI reports. Over the past five years, agents conducting twice-weekly sweeps have confiscated more than 10,000 guns.

However, there are still more than 19,700 individuals on the state's Armed Prohibited Persons list, and it would cost the state up to $50 million to hire more agents to catch up with the backlog, according to Attorney General Kamala Harris.

Because gun-confiscating agents do not obtain search warrants, their job involves convincing people to let them into their homes and hand over their guns, the Los Angeles Times reports. If an individual does turn over a gun, he can be arrested on suspicion of illegally owning a firearm.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/19/california-gun-confiscation_n_2717809.html

[Bay Boy]

1. Headline sounded scary

but it seems to be the right thing to do.

[Deep13]

2. So the cops coerce people into allowing them to make an illegal search.

One of the right wing arguments is that if the state ignores the 2nd Am., that it will ignore other rights too. While I don't really agree with the RW 2nd Am. interpretation, most people do, at least to some degree. So I wonder if maybe there is some validity to that argument.

[Tempest]

3. The cops can't do anything you don't allow them to

No one is being coerced.

Don't want to be searched, tell them no. Simple enough.

Anything else you say is giving them an excuse.

[Deep13]

4. We both know that's not how it works.

People often don't know what their rights are and if they have had prior dealings police, they will feel defensive anyway. Police are trained to exploit that. So it is intentionally coercive. Not just in this case, but in criminal investigation generally. I've read enough trial transcripts working in the DA's office to recognize it.

[Bay Boy]

5. I agree with that...

...Cop (after having pulled you over): "Mind if I look through your car?"

Note that he didn't say he was going to look through your car he's just asking to do that.

And you being a law abiding citizen say "OK".

But what if your son/daughter had borrowed your car and left a joint in the ashtray?
Your kid wouldn't do that you say? OK, well maybe your child's friend does it instead?

What's the cop going to do next?

[GreenStormCloud]

6. From the article:

If an individual does turn over a gun, he can be arrested on suspicion of illegally owning a firearm.

According to that you are guilty as soon as the cops show up.

It is amazing how many rights the anti-gun people are ready to discard if it supports gun-control.