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Suffolk Notebook: New Gun Safety Measure Approved

Legislature unanimously backs law that allows cops to seize weapons from involuntary psychiatric patients.

The Suffolk County Legislature this past week unanimously approved a new gun safety control measure aimed at keeping weapons out of the hands of involuntary psychiatric patients. 

The measure, sponsored by Legis. Kara Hahn, D-Setauket, mandates law enforcement officials crosscheck the names and addresses of individuals transported to Stony Brook University's Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program against the county's pistol license registries.

"In the days following all mass shootings there is always a search for missed warning signs," Hahn said. "An involuntary transport to a psychiatric emergency room should be a red flag of an individual's mental state. My goal is to never have to look back following a tragedy and ask 'how this warning or that red flag was missed.'" 

In January, New York State adopted the mental health provisions of the NY Safe Act of 2013, which allows for cross checking potentially unstable individuals against a not yet created statewide pistol license database.

The county's legislation takes this one step further by requiring police officers to make immediate referrals to the licensing bureau. This is already common practice in handling domestic violence-related calls. 

"When Legislator Hahn brought this idea to my attention, I implemented it immediately because it has the potential to save lives," said Edward Weber, Suffolk County's police commissioner. 

The bill will go to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone for his signature. If signed, the new law will impact the towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown. 

• Parks appointment for Bellone's wife withdrawn

The Suffolk legislature has withdrawn a resolution that would make County Executive Steve Bellone's wife, Tracey, an unpaid parks trustee. 

Newsday reported that the motion was withdrawn after the county's attorney discovered Tracey Bellone, the Town of Babylon's deputy parks commissioner, could not serve in the unpaid position because a county code prohibits state or town officials from becoming a parks appointee. 

The legislature is expected to introduce a bill that would amend the county code. A resolution to appoint Tracey Bellone as a parks trustee could be filed again after the changes are made. 

Rev. Gary Brinn March 30, 2013 at 08:08 pm
"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."
-Thomas Jefferson
Frank Marion March 30, 2013 at 08:23 pm
By Amendment....not Executive Order. Adapt and Overcome is not a meaningless motto,,,,,,,
robkoz March 30, 2013 at 09:59 pm
Got to love the liberals using what happened in Con. as their propaganda. Children have been getting shot up in the ghetto's for decades now all of a sudden it happens to a bunch of white kids in a nice town and it's instantaneous outrage! Freakin hypocrites. You make me sick.
janie March 31, 2013 at 12:09 am
You know what angrytaxpayer you make me sick. No one in the ghetto has had someone walk into their clasrrom and shoot at six yr olds. r u kidding me!
robkoz March 31, 2013 at 12:56 am
Oh so kids have to be shot in a classroom now for everyone to take notice? LMAO! Columbine anyone? Welcome to the party. Your over a decade late.
Easter Sunday March 31, 2013 at 01:08 am
Why does everyone keep straying from the issue? This isn't about gun ownership. This isn't about taking away the 2nd amendment. This is about stopping a mentally ill person from having something that causes harm. In a psychotic state, people do terrible things (mostly to themselves), that cause lasting damage. What sane, Christian person would want to visit that harm on a human being, or other human beings purely in defense of political gain. Is that not sociopathy? I have heard awful stories about people who have lapsed into periods of paranoid schizophrenia, and wake up not being able to see. When they ask why they can't see, they are informed that it was because they gauged their own eyes out whilst they were so ill. Why oh why would you then allow someone who was that sick to have a gun. You wouldn't give them a knife? I truly don't understand why the gun lobby are so against such common sense Christian and adult controls. The NRA itself used to support gun control for the mentally ill. Gun ownership is a privilege that relies on a certain responsibility. It is much the same as nuclear weapons- you wouldn't want them to fall into the hands of unstable groups who may harm others. Even if we prevent one mass killing, of the like that we have all seen recently, then a law like this would be worthwhile. You would not let your toddler play with a live hand grenade. Why then would you let a psychotic individual potentially harm themselves or others. It's very reasonable.
Easter Sunday March 31, 2013 at 01:41 am
Regardless of what people think about government intrusion etc, sometimes laws are for the common good. Driving is a privilege- you don't let drunk people drive, or blind people. The reason you don't let them drive is not because you want to infringe their rights, but because they are a danger to themselves, and to others. There is such thing as the public good. If driving drunk was legal, and your 6 yr old child was run over whilst walking to school, how would you feel? Would you think you had done all you could to prevent it? I get the strong impression that there is a vein of anarchy running through these arguments on this thread. Why have any laws at all? With the same logic, why not just send Al-qaeda a box of nukes? Why not allow every crazy dictatorial regime around the world to start building nuclear missiles? As they say, the right to punch ends where my nose begins. If you can't be responsible with something that is dangerous, you don't deserve have access to it until you can be responsible. It's like game theory- if people are queuing to get served, overall they will all be served quicker than if they all rushed at once. Therefore we all need to give up a little, in order to benefit as a whole. I for one would be more than happy to have my firearms taken away from me if I were to suddenly lose my mind. I would sleep easier knowing that there would be less chance of me harming my family, or myself.
knee jerk March 31, 2013 at 12:50 pm
@Janie: Don't reply to this dilweed(Angrytaxpayer). He is RobKoz,Dr. Geoff (Goeff) Clarke among others, answers himself, and tries to agitate others with inane keywords.
knee jerk March 31, 2013 at 01:13 pm
NO Savage' he called those who backed their governments handling of the VietNam war "the silent majority". Kind of like that last presidential election where "the silent majority" elected the president, and not Fox News (thank god).As far as Nixon calling anyone "Communists" it was those protesting the VietNam War, who turned out to be right.
Justin Thyme March 31, 2013 at 01:19 pm
Bravo
knee jerk March 31, 2013 at 01:46 pm
No again Savage: Congress is not prohibited from passing ex-post facto laws, just from prosecuting you for it. All this means is that when Congress passes future gun control (and they will) some weapons you now possess will be declared illegal and will be confiscated.Luckily, for you, and others like you, you will not be charged with a crime if you turn them in on time.
FYI March 31, 2013 at 04:56 pm
excellent article. Thank you for the link. Unfortunately, hysteria is the typical response from the uninformed.
robkoz March 31, 2013 at 10:43 pm
Yeah, do what jerkface says. Elect all democrats. Cause its working so well in California with all democrats running the show.....
Justin Thyme April 1, 2013 at 12:22 am
No way, this law is brilliant in its simplicity by making a move so obvious that a blind person could see it.
How does cross referencing mentally unstable people for a gun license become pathetic in your eyes?
Carl "The Truth" Williams April 1, 2013 at 01:56 am
Yes, this law is not only pathetic but, more importantly, it is UN-Constitutional. Period.
Tom Gillen April 1, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Does anyone have the stones to admit that the all holy constitution is far from perfect? I mean the whole premise that these are some "God given rights" is laughable, but once you look past that.....We act as though it is some infallible document, yet we've had to amend it not once, not twice, but 27 times. IMHO the constitution should always be available for amendment as the times dictate. We are doing ourselves a disservice by holding steadfast to archaic rules. The constitution made no provision for ending slavery......we came around.....women and blacks couldn't vote.....we came around....they made alcohol illegal.....thank god we came around.....now if only we could let people marry who they want and keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill we'd be in GREAT shape! Oh no, the mentally ill need their guns too....there's nothing in the constitution that says they can't have one! Bah! Socialism! And those poor felons who can't legally own a gun....talk about infringement! Where is their gun lobby? Give me a break, use your heads
Dr Pragmatic April 1, 2013 at 01:57 pm
What a canard this law is . As usual another power grab by NY. Stony Brook gets drunks from bars etc transported to their psych center . Why doesn't this law allow FULL DISCLOSURE of COPS , GOVT AGENTS , POLITICIANS & THEIR FAMILIES MENTAL STATUS / HISTORY ?
How many govt raids on the kennedy compounds to confiscate their weapons with all the drunks , murderers , rapists & drug addicts that bootlegging family has spawned ? Shouldn't the public have a right to know if there are "mental" law enforcement agents out there carrying guns ? Bet Amidou Diallo's family would have liked a psych profile on those NYC cops . How about HARSH mandatory sentences for crimes committed with guns legal or otherwise ? This is just another reason to move out of the now documented LEAST FREE STATE in the UNION , New York & leave it's oppressive taxes & nanny state mentality behind . PS- tell those politico's in Crookhaven & other towns to worry about these soon to be bankrupt declining school districts instead
John Gruber April 1, 2013 at 02:16 pm
Sorry Glenn your history is TERRIBLY off 1)
1) hitler disarmed only a small percentage and that wasn't based on mental capacity or criminal history and ARMED the rest, INCLUDING CHILDREN 2) The revolution was fueled by propaganda from the Boston Massacre and the Quebec Act and Intolerable Acts, NONE of which included guns 3) The fighting original started when the British came to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock, NOT their guns You are completely wrong and either intentionally/purposely misleading
John Gruber April 1, 2013 at 02:17 pm
Frank, no one should be able to walk into a store and buy a gun-no questions asked. That is the epitome of stupidity. At some point your actions forfeit the rights given to you by this country
John Gruber April 1, 2013 at 02:21 pm
exactly, the same people who think the constitution is "untouchable" seem to forget the same document legitimized slavery and counted African Americans as a fraction of a person
knee jerk April 1, 2013 at 05:30 pm
Code M to CPEP- we have Angrytaxpayer on the gurney.
Conservative Underground April 1, 2013 at 06:48 pm
Here is the report on how New York is the least free state in the Union.
http://freedominthe50states.org/overall/new-york It is interesting.
dj April 1, 2013 at 07:33 pm
if u dont like the laws here then freaken leave and go t0 your red states. waawaa all you people di is complain. Be happy you live in America and be happy there are people around who care and are only trying to protect!
Dr Pragmatic April 1, 2013 at 07:38 pm
@ knee jerk at least the second part of your name is apt : )
So which type of troll sucking on the govt teet are you ? once of the corrupt politico's ? the overpaid underworked SCPD cop looking for disability bennies & a 150K pension for "stress" from patrolling starbucks &/or dunkin donuts ? perhaps the 180K tenured 68 years old gym teacher with 75% obese kids in your class ? Either way no worries , the nanny state will make sure someone like Bloomberg will save you from large soda's & even wipe your behind BTW take a stroll through bed stuy at night & thank your liberal brethren you can't have a CCW , heck north Amityville or Central Islip will suffice.
Dr Pragmatic April 1, 2013 at 08:20 pm
Suffolk really needs to enact "safety measures" to prevent people with potential mental issues from cars & blunt objects
http://news.yahoo.com/4-hurt-crash-attack-california-231717422.html And while we're at it Suffolk needs a ban on 'assault' & kitchen knives from the potentially insane http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/01/21/beloved-long-island-school-bus-driver-charged-with-stabbing-husband/ http://archive.longislandpress.com/2012/12/31/man-charged-with-attempted-murder-in-mall-stabbing/ http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/01/3317497/lauderhill-man-accused-of-stabbing.html http://www.mcall.com/news/local/police/mc-c-haycock-township-domestic-stabbing-arrest-20130401,0,4649269.story http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Women-charged-after-stabbing-4399688.php http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/03/23/police-probe-officers-deadly-shooting-of-man-who-allegedly-stabbed-roommate/
Dr Pragmatic April 1, 2013 at 08:31 pm
"Its' not my name, dilweed, just my handle"
Well as I said it's apt , you should consider a legal name change to that second part In fact make it your first name & change your second name to OFF To keep this suffolk centric , ever wonder why Shrink & PT Offices among others are littered with dregs of SCPD, Teachers Union , LIRR employees , Postal employees to name a few , begging for that golden retirement ticket ? BTW - Franchi ? LOL Ban Handguns so the next OWS type Shooter from a liberal gun free zone will use a pair of Benelli M4's
knee jerk April 1, 2013 at 09:02 pm
Dr. Ragdick: No, I never wondered about that, perhaps you can enlighten me. As far as the Benelli M4 (Marine Corps rapid fire shotgun, designed to kill rapidly, not for hunting or skeet) that too belongs on a banned list.
Conservative Underground April 1, 2013 at 10:01 pm
Where are the moderators for this site.
robkoz April 1, 2013 at 11:03 pm
Yeah, good luck with that.
Conservative Underground April 2, 2013 at 12:40 am
Too busy watching the Carrie Diaries or Gossip Girl I guess...what a shame.

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