Friday, January 18, 2013
Wakefield Police Chief Rick Smith told Wakefield Patch Thursday that when handling gun permit requests, police only get to see if an individual spent time in a state-run institution - not a private or out of state one.
In recent days, President Barack Obama and Governor Deval Patrick have both offered gun control proposals amid a renewed debate over the issue following the Sandy Hook shootings last month. With this in mind, Wakefield Patch checked in with Wakefield Police Chief Rick Smith this week to ask for his perspectives as a local law enforcement official when it comes to gun violence and gun control. Smith reports that in Wakefield, police will deny a gun permit if there is reason to believe the applicant is questionable in some way. "It's not a given," said the Chief about applying for a firearms permit in town. Department procedures for permitting are basically in accordance with state laws, he added. Number Of Permits Up For 2012 In a separate …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
When your child is going to a friend's home, how many questions do you ask in advance?
This topic was recently discussed on the Today Show, and it got us talking. Do you ask about guns? Drugs? Alcohol? And if you don't, should you? The Parents yap about playdate pre-screening, what they ask, when, and why. Tasha Schlake Festel Great. Something else society tells me I should be doing but am not. Add it to the ever-growing list. Honestly, it seems like every day I learn about another way in which I am an inadequate mother. I don't ask if people have guns. I don't ask if they drink. I don't ask if they have criminal records. I don't ask if they have exotic or potentially dangerous pets. I don't ask if they have lead paint. I don't ask if they have bed bugs. I don't ask if they use non-prescription drugs. I don't ask if they …
Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled legislation on Wednesday that would tighten gun control laws in Massachusetts while increasing funding for mental health services and enhancing background checks. Is this sensible?
Are new proposed laws regarding guns in Massachusetts and mental health services sensible and pragmatic steps? Or are they knee-jerk measures that won't increase safety? Gov. Deval Patrick introduced new legislation Wednesday along those lines in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, Conn. "I am encouraged by the palpable consensus in our Legislature that the time for action is now. All of us must pull in the same direction to bring about real change in this state and across the country," Patrick said in a press release. The bill would require gun purchasers to undergo background checks at gun shows, reduce access to high-powered rounds of ammunition, and limit the number of weapon sales by licensed dealers to not more than one gun…
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Does the massacre at Newtown, Conn., signal the need for a political debate on gun regulations?
Before officials had even held their first press conference Friday, Facebook was abuzz with status updates about the Newtown, Conn., massacre. The statuses were split between those sending their condolences and those asking if the country would finally deal with the issue of gun control. Some fought back, asking for "respect" and mourning before political debate began. Others remained fierce in their belief that stricter gun control regulations would have prevented such a mass killing, saying the victims were shot multiple times and with semi-automatic weapons, according to Fox News. The guns were not illegal and were, in fact, owned by the shooter's mother. Among them were a semi-automatic .223 caliber Bushmaster rifle and two handguns. …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
A Massachusetts gun owners group is lobbying for passage of a bill that would confer lifetime gun licenses — no renewals necessary.
Way too much red tape. That's the complaint of the Gun Owners’ Action League of Massachusetts, a group that is urging passage of a law that would abolish the requirement of having to renew a gun permit every six years, according to the Boston Herald. For comparison, Massachusetts vehicle drivers' licenses need to be renewed every five years. But the league says local police cannot keep up with timely gun permit renewals, and legitimate gunowners go license-less until the cops get time to do the paperwork. The law now allows 40 days for turning around license applications. In Boston, almost 1,000 people have applied for gun permits so far this year, with waits running about 10 weeks, the Herald quotes police spokeswoman Cheryl Fiandaca as …
A. G.
11:10 am on Monday, January 21, 2013
Is there any evidence to support Chief Smith's belief that mental health treatment and violence are related, or is it purely conjecture? If the biggest issue in the Chief's mind is mental illness, I have to question his reasoning. Shouldn't he be focusing on dangerousness?? more ›