Gun Amnesty

Collie D

I've read and watched a fair bit of news on this but still can't figure out how it's supposed to work.

Are people supposd to walk into their local Garda station and hand in the auld sawn-off? I'm no gun-carrying hard man but if I was I wouldn't feel too confident about doing that as I'd be suspicious of being arrested as soon as I walked in.

Are they supposed to dump all their guns into a big skip? If so, where is this skip and is it secure? Could be a nice arsenal there for somebody to go out and wage a little turf war.

The Minister for Injustice says that guns involved in crimes won't be accepted? How are they know if the gun has been used if it's an amnesty? Would imagine it'd be a good way of disposing of evidence, but then on the other hand why would somebody hand over a gun that hasn't been used in a crime. Surely they have it for some purpose and they're not going to hand in their weapon if they've got it for the purpose of klilling someone/doing a bank job, etc.

Just confused about this, can anyone shed some light for me?

Flukey

Anyone with a firearm that is not legally held is asked to bring it to the gardai. They must account for the weapon and give its history if they know it. They may have just found it or it could be in their possession for years. The guns will all be subject to forensic examination, which is how they will be able to see if it has been used in any known crimes.

Collie D

So basically it won't take any guns out of the hands of criminals, just the odd farmer who never registered his gun? Seems pointless to be honest.

Flukey

Well they are not expecting hardened criminals to come in and hand over the weapons. It will reduce the amount of guns in circulation though, ones which could be stolen. Also, some of the ones people will hand in will be ones they may have just found dumped somewhere, but could be useful in an ongoing investigation. So there are lots of benefits.

Black Swan

Anything that reduces the number of guns in our society is a good thing.

Bob the Builder

When someone brings in a gun, they must sign their details, the gun will be subject to an examination. Guns used for offences will not be accepted and you'll probably be arrested...
They will bring the guns up to a place in Dublin, where they have all the usual done, they keep some guns for raining purposes and disarm the rest of them by means of a good welding....

Blue_Lagoon wrote:

Anything that reduces the number of guns in our society is a good thing.

Agree!

If anything needs to be reduced around ireland, it has to be the amount of knives in circulation. The stabbing rate has seemed to increase these past few months.

Dyr

knives are basically sharp pointy bits of metal, there's a shedload of them in every kitchen, how the hell are you going to reduce the amount of them in circulation? knife amnesties are just PR excercises, as are gun amnesties IMO

Mossy Monk

nevf wrote:

When someone brings in a gun, they must sign their details, the gun will be subject to an examination. Guns used for offences will not be accepted and you'll probably be arrested...

not much of an amnesty then

Sgt. Politeness

You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead hands

connundrum

Well the cops don't like the new amnesty much.. but they don't seem to like most things at the moment

GARDAI have come out against a government plan for a gun amnesty, writes Tom Brady .

Justice Minister Michael McDowell has included the amnesty in a series of criminal justice measures in legislation before the Dail for debate.

The amnesty will apply to all firearms which have not been used in carrying out crime and a timeframe for the measure will be announced after the legislation has been sanctioned.

But last night the president of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, Paschal Feeney, told its annual conference in Killarney that his members were against the concept because it had limited value.

"Hardened criminals are not likely to give up their guns as easily as that," he warned.

He said his association was also against the proposed ASBOs (anti-social behaviour orders).

However, he welcomed a range of other measures contained in the Bill.

But he warned the minister there was no point in continuing to create a "huge mountain" of law if he did not at the same time provide the resources to implement and operate those laws - "and I am not talking about a useless corps of part-time amateurs".

Mr Feeney attacked what he called the disgraceful and clandestine sale of Harcourt Terrace Garda Station in Dublin and the sale of the former police station site at Lad Lane.

He also said Mr McDowell's plan to sell off Mountjoy Garda Station as part of themove of the prison to the Thornton Hall site in north county Dublin was callous because it made it almost impossible for families to visit easily.

EWheelChair

I gave in an old type glock i've had from a past id like to forget and they were very helpfull about it. Took my name and address and asked about its history.

connundrum

EWheelChair wrote:

I gave in an old type glock i've had from a past id like to forget and they were very helpfull about it. Took my name and address and asked about its history.

Really?? I think I'd be nervous as hell and I'd prob cause a scene..

Me: I've got a gun
Guard: Oh sh1t, lemme see your hands!!
Me: What? Its an old one..
Guard: GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND PLACE YOUR PALMS ON THE GROUND FACE DOWN!!
Me: Oh Jesus why did I even bother.

Victor

You can phone the Garda station and make arrangements.

ircoha

Flukey wrote:

Anyone with a firearm that is not legally held is asked to bring it to the gardai. They must account for the weapon and give its history if they know it. They may have just found it or it could be in their possession for years. The guns will all be subject to forensic examination, which is how they will be able to see if it has been used in any known crimes.

An excellent opportunity for framing people once they have done the forensics, nothing more.

slipss

As far as I understand it, (and I could be wrong about this), the gun amnesty has three objectives.

1. To help in the prosecution of people charged with possesion of a firearm, by elliminating the possible defence of claiming the weapon has been lying around for years unused and you wear afraid of coming forward with it for fear of arrest.

2. As a pathethic and desperate attempt at PR by the Minsiter for Justice to look like he is taking effective measures to curb the rising level of gun crime in Ireland.

3. To try and draw media attention away from the several damaging stories in the press concerning the current gouvernment(sc).

oh and of course to lower the number of firearms in circulation in the same way that asking junkies to hand in their heroin would reduce the rate of drug related crime.

SimpleSam06

ircoha wrote:

An excellent opportunity for framing people once they have done the forensics, nothing more.

Ballistics reports from guns are worth fawk all as far as I know. In NYC they have a database of every gun registered for the last few years, you need to fire the gun and let them keep the bullet with the marks of the rifling for future reference. Total number of crimes solved so far with the aid of this database: 0. Also there was a trial, I forget which, and they proved that over the course of 30 consecutive firings, no two marks on the bullet were the same. Don't believe everything you see on CSI, folks. Yes, I know a lot about guns.

Dirk Gently

If you have guns all you need to do is walk into a station and say you found it in a field and no more questions will be asked. You won’t be interrogated about the gun if you say you just found it. All they do is take your name and details but nothing more. Then guns will then be tested and matched to any out standing crimes. That’s what the gardai said.

McDowell himself says he doesn't expect serious criminals to hand over any weapons but that he was just using this as a way of saying that people had an opportunity to hand over the weapons. Apparently he has some tough new laws up his sleeve that will come into effect soon and he wants to point at this amnesty and tell anyone who feels hard done by with a tough sentence for owning an illegal gun that they had their chance to hand it in. He is of course making it very difficult for criminals to hand them over by saying that the guns will be tested and not simply destroyed. This is designed to say that he gave people the opportunity to hand over guns when in reality he's just going to bring in tough new laws and use the amnesty if and when he receives any criticism for long sentences.

Chucky the tree

connundrum wrote:

Me: I've got a gun
Guard: Oh sh1t, lemme see your hands!!
Me: What? Its an old one..
Guard: GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND PLACE YOUR PALMS ON THE GROUND FACE DOWN!!
Me: Oh Jesus why did I even bother.

And whats the Garda behind the desk goin to use to get the lad with the gun to get on the ground? His pen?

I am looking forward to when some scumbag is arrested for possesion of a firearm in his car, and he turns around and tells the cops he actually on the way to the police to hand it in as part of the amnesty.

cooperguy

I read in the paper today that those amnesties never work its just the farmer who never registered his gun that hands them over. But there is usually one weapon handed in that is completly unexpected. Like in canada when a woman turned up with an anti-aircraft rocket launcher complete with instructions !!! She said she found it when renovating her house and was too afraid to hand it over to the police at the time and just put it into the attic!!!

#Smokey#

if we give up our guns then how are we going to defend ourselves against the "hardened" criminals.

bounty

i want a anti-aircraft rocket launcher complete with instructions ... then id get some respect