By JOSHUA THOMAS

C-S-E Editor

As you’re most likely aware, New York State was the first to adopt The Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, which passed through the senate by a sizable margin on Sunday, and was then signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo Monday.

On one hand, I’m proud to live in a state that is at least doing what they think is necessary to prevent senseless gun violence, although I have mixed feelings about the speed at which the legislation was pushed through. On one hand, we’ve had adequate warning that dangerous weapons too frequently fall into the hands of insane people, and there has already been enough procrastination in seeking solutions.

On the other hand, has the legislation been thought out to the extent that it should be? We need to get this exactly right, and I hope the expedient passing of this law doesn’t impede innocent people rather than assist in finding a solution.

Unfortunately, I’m not so sure that parts of the law are tailored to keep weapons out of the hands of violent criminals and psychotics as much as they’ll make everything a bit harder for responsible gun owners, store owners and government employees.

Criminals, I think, will find a way to commit crimes whether they have legal access to guns or not. They’ll obtain them through other means, possibly illegal, and in such cases, there’s not much the law can do unless pre-emptive reports are made or law enforcement finds the potential criminal in possession of illegal items.

I do think that the portion of the law that mandates that stolen guns be reported is positive, because it takes into consideration the fact that limiting access to weapons will drive some to steal them. In the instance that a family member steals a weapon from another, the family member might be more apt to make a report now that they can be implicated in a future crime if they were aware a gun was missing, yet failed to report it.

I also think the portion applying to the mentally ill in regards to gun ownership is necessary. The law mandates that any mentally ill patient that poses a threat should be reported by their therapist, at which point, their guns may be taken by law enforcement. In future legislation, I think there needs to be a focus on keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who will use them improperly, and part of doing so lies in proper diagnosis and intervention.

There’s already been talk about how this new legislation will effect locals. The new laws might end up placing burden on local government, as it’s up to them to keep on top of pistol permit holders and owners of assault rifles, which must be registered and re-certified every five years.

Offices are short-staffed, and current employees are already swamped dealing with permits. Unfunded mandates — which these are — are already crippling the state at various levels, whether at the county level or within school districts. There’s no money to hire additional staff in places where additional work will be required.

Understandably though, regulations such as these don’t always start out perfect, and there’s going to be a lot of trial and error involved. It’s important that this long road have a start point and an end, and I hope that responsible gun owners keep an open mind even as they’re potentially negatively affected, with the knowledge that one day these laws will hopefully lead to a system that’s effective in cutting down violent criminals before they’re able to act.