Domestic abusers now required to hand over firearms in Dallas County

[SecularMotion]

Dallas County has a new policy for gun owners and domestic abusers: You can’t be both.

Officials began confiscating guns from certain domestic batterers Tuesday, with the launch of a new program that requires them to turn in their weapons at a local gun range.

Nationally and in Texas, about 60 percent of intimate-partner homicides are committed with a gun. One study also found that access to a gun increases by five times a woman’s chance of being killed by an intimate partner, even when controlling for severity of abuse.

“Guns are one of the easiest ways to kill someone and it’s an impulsive weapon,” said The Family Place shelter CEO Paige Flink, who added that she and others have been advocating for gun confiscation for more than a decade.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20150505-domestic-abusers-now-required-to-hand-over-firearms-in-dallas-county.ece

[Shamash]

2. So Texas has decided to actually enforce existing state/federal law in this regard? Good. n/t

[GGJohn]

3. He thinks that by posting this story,

the gun control fanatics are winning, what he fails to note is that this has been Federal law for years.
Also, he doesn't have the courage of his convictions to actually comment on it, he constantly does drive by postings on this group.

[SecularMotion]

5. NRA bullshit

Federal laws are enforced and prosecuted by the US government. Local governments need laws and statutes that can be enforced and prosecuted by local officials.

Enjoy your vacation.

[Shamash]

6. Read your own link

The story you linked to says that the measures being implemented are merely enforcing existing state law.

I call shenanigans on your claim of bullshit.

[Eleanors38]

7. You would think people would read what they post beforehand.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

9. That's only half the problem

Often they're unable to qualify, define or talk intelligently about the issue and the technology involved.

[Duckhunter935]

11. post bull**** and run away

that seems to be a common thing when challenged or asked a simple question.

[Duckhunter935]

10. That was a bad hide and you know it

That poster was correct on your history of Google dumping this group with no comments. If you do it enough it really just gets to the level of spamming. Lets have a look at how many times you have posted in this group without comment by doing drive by posts, shall we?

I count somewhere around 600+ posts, is that correct. The SOP states DISCUSS but you almost never do except to make a snarky remark that is not relevant to your OP or to post in glee how a post was hidden.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172&page=21&sort=author
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172&page=22&sort=author
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172&page=23&sort=author
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172&page=24&sort=author
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172&page=25&sort=author
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172&page=26&sort=author
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172&page=27&sort=author
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172&page=28&sort=author

For the record, it is already against Texas state law to possess a firearm if convicted of domestic violence or a party in a protective order.

Texas prohibits firearm possession by domestic violence misdemeanants for five years following release from confinement or community supervision.1 These gun possession prohibitions attach to a domestic violence misdemeanor offender for offenses committed against: 1) a former or current dating partner of the offender or someone with whom the offender has had a romantic relationship; 2) any present or former household member or cohabitant of the offender, regardless of their relationship to the offender; and 3) specified family members of the offender, regardless of whether they reside with the offender.2 However, a broader federal law prohibits domestic violence misdemeanants from possessing firearms regardless of when the conviction occurred.

Texas law prohibits firearm possession by any person (other than an active, sworn, full-time, paid peace officer) who is subject to a protective order for a party to a suit for dissolution of a marriage, a protective order for family violence, a magistrate’s order for emergency protection following an arrest for family violence, sexual assault or stalking, a protective order for a victim of sexual assault, or a domestic violence protective order issued by another jurisdiction if he or she has received notice of the order.

http://smartgunlaws.org/domestic-violence-and-firearms-in-texas/

[TimeToEvolve]

4. one small step in the right direction

guns and unstable minds produce a highly combustible mix......

[Eleanors38]

8. Actually, enforcing current law. One of the problems with controllers is credibility...

Many people, even those who do not have guns, are wary of the gun control outlook(it is hardly a "movement&quot because they think that the efforts of control/banning won't end with " one small step." In other words, what do you see next in "the right direction?"

[jimmy the one]

13. read beforehand, before engaging mouth

eleanors: You would think people would read what they post beforehand.

ggjohn: .. what he fails to note is that this has been Federal law for years.

Evidently, eleanors, ggjohn didn't read the entire article secmo posted, or he'd have come across this:

Officials began confiscating guns from certain domestic batterers, with the launch of a new program that requires them to turn in their weapons at a local gun range
The long-awaited program becomes the most comprehensive effort in Texas to take guns away from abusers and one of the only firearm-surrender strategies in the country to rely on private storage, according to domestic violence experts.
They lauded the new project as a creative, lifesaving move for abuse victims.
“This is so much better than what the norm has been for so many years,”
The policy represents a remarkable turnaround for a county that lagged behind on gun confiscation efforts less than a year ago, when The Dallas Morning News first reported that Dallas County was failing to enforce domestic violence gun laws, putting victims and the public at risk.
State and federal law forbids convicted abusers and subjects of protective orders from having firearms. But The News found that these residents regularly left court without instructions on how to follow the law and did not receive follow-up to make sure they did.

[Eleanors38]

15. Jimmy, I'm not GG. Good movie, though.

[Runningdawg]

12. I know everyone wants

to think there is an easy solution to gun violence. Taking away then guns of domestic abusers is good gesture, but it is not going to slow down domestic violence one little bit.
2 cases in point: during the early 80's in my small home town in OK, a man who had previously served time for DA, and had no guns walked into a beauty shop and killed his ex-wife and 3 of her patrons - with a hammer.
Also in the 80's in Tulsa, a man killed his wife with a crossbow after failing a background to purchase a gun. He bought the crossbow from the same store, the same day, he was denied the gun permit.
Talk to some rabid gunners and they will all tell you - their guns were all lost in a tragic boating accident. They own NO guns, at least not on paper. They will also say the same thing when asked about the consequences of carrying an unlicensed gun. "I would rather be judged by 6 than carried by 12". Enforcing existing laws is great but its not going to put a dent in the violence cause by illegal and straw man purchases.
Remember - The SC shooter didn't buy his gun - HE didn't pass a background check. His father did, then he GAVE the gun to his son as a present.

[AnnieO]

14. CNN reports Charleston bought gun legally

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/19/us/charleston-church-shooting-main/

Towards the end of the article CNN says law enforcement is now saying the shooter bought the gun at a Charleston gun shop in April. That means he had to pass a background check.

[Eleanors38]

16. Many's the slip twixt the cup and the lip...

Looks like his pending felony didn't make it up the pipeline.

The VT murderer was adjudicated mentally incompetent and dangerous, but the paperwork, or its equivalent, didn't go up, either. And VA's system was considered the 2nd best in the country, behind CA.

I've always supported increased funding and an overhaul of the NICS reporting system. A grant-in-aid set up seems plausible.