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Pataki announces new initiative
Updated: 12/22/2005 6:22 PM
By: Jaime Kazlo

Just weeks after two New York City police officers were shot to death, Governor Pataki has stepped up the penalties against those who possess illegal guns. And to keep the wheels of justice moving, he announced a newly created Gun Trafficking Task Force that will be made up of 100 State Police investigators.

Pataki said, "These investigators will fan out, work with federal officials, work with local officials across this state to get illegal guns and to arrest and convict those who possess or traffic in these guns."

This $4.5 million initiative comes just one day after Governor Pataki signed two new crime-fighting bills into law. One has increased penalties for those who injure or kill police officers. The other has toughened current laws to keep illegal guns off the streets of New York.

Pataki said, "Yesterday, possession of 19 illegal handguns or the selling of nine illegal guns, you could have gotten off with probation. As of today, you sell one illegal gun, you possess three or more, you can get seven years behind bars."

Pataki said the help of local law enforcement officials will greatly increase the number of illegal guns and criminals taken off the streets of New York.

Albany Police Chief James Tuffey said, "By them assigning 100 investigators and ATF's commitment, it will give us more staff to work together and target one area of crime, while the other officers are still doing the other parts of preventing crime in the city."

The officers will be deployed over the next two weeks to communities with the highest rates of gun violence across the state.

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Has anyone read what this new law spells out?
All anyone has said is that it lengthens the sentence for shooting a LEO and increaeses the penalty for "illegal" firearms.
Doesn't the speed in which this legislation was conceved and passed in concern you?

Quoted: Has anyone read what this new law spells out? All anyone has said is that it lengthens the sentence for shooting a LEO and increaeses the penalty for "illegal" firearms. Doesn't the speed in which this legislation was conceved and passed in concern you?

at least they didnt add anything bad to it..its just harsher punishments for people who have illegal weapons and for those who shoot cops..who can say no to legislation like this.

Quoted: Has anyone read what this new law spells out? All anyone has said is that it lengthens the sentence for shooting a LEO and increaeses the penalty for "illegal" firearms. Doesn't the speed in which this legislation was conceved and passed in concern you?

Welcome to the NY Legislature which has been been referred to as the "most dysfunctional legislature" in the United States. There is generally no debate, no public hearings or public input on almost all legislation that is introduced  in either the Assembly or Senate. There is also no "true" voting or floor debate on a bill because only bills that are virtually assured of passage by the majority party beforehand ever make it to the floor to be voted on.