New York State Police can enforce some key provisions of the state’s sweeping gun-control law as of Thursday, one year after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the measure into law.

With the new provision, the N.Y. SAFE Act bans the possession of unregistered assault weapons and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, according to a state police SAFE Act document. Gun owners can register assault weapons legally under previous guidelines until April 15 — at which point possessing the guns becomes a misdemeanor offense.

Cuomo passed the SAFE Act amid growing concern over mass shootings and perceived easy access to deadly weapons. The law “stops criminals and the dangerously mentally ill from buying a gun” through bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks and increased penalties for illegal gun users, among other measures, according to the state’s website.

But many, including individuals in the Syracuse community, have argued that law enforcement can’t effectively enforce the provisions, hurting otherwise law-abiding citizens.

“I have a huge inventory that will sit here and collect dust unless I can sell them out of state,” said Bill Greene, owner of Butternut Sport Shop in Syracuse.

The law adds another point of contention in the ongoing debate about gun control in the United States. From the SAFE Act’s inception last January, selling assault weapons and high-capacity magazines became illegal. Assault weapons purchased previously had to be discarded or registered before Wednesday’s deadline, according to the State Police document.

Greene’s inventory included guns that were classified as assault weapons under new SAFE Act classifications. He can no longer sell them in N.Y. State, he said.

Punishing individuals who bought assault weapons before the SAFE Act poses the biggest challenge for law enforcement, said Anthony Odorisi, a senior finance major.

Odorisi, a Rochester native, has shot target practice with his father outside their Potter, N.Y. cabin since he was 15 years old.

He said he has three registered guns to his name. He and his family were comfortable registering their guns with the state, including the controversial AR-15 and AK-47 models, he said.

“They really aren’t any more dangerous than any rifles out there,” Odorisi said. “They do look a lot more menacing.”

Odorisi said he thinks the high-capacity magazine ban will be particularly hard to enforce.

Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny ruled the SAFE Act constitutional but struck down the high-capacity magazine clause Dec. 31, according to a USA Today article published that same day. Limiting 10-round magazines to seven bullets at one time is unconstitutional, Skretny ruled.

Cameron Lynn, a sophomore sport management major, said she also shoots target practice with her family. While she hasn’t shot in New York, her family owns registered guns that fit New York’s description of assault weapons, she said. She would have no qualms about registering the guns under the SAFE Act laws, she said. 

As a sportsman, Odorisi said he hopes he can continue to legally shoot within reasonable limits. He made a distinction between common sense gun laws and provisions that overcompensate.

Odorisi said he recognizes the safety concerns at hand with the new SAFE Act provisions. But attempts to effectively enforce the law may prove difficult as the state moves forward, he said.

Said Odorisi: “It’s in good nature and I understand what they’re trying to do but it’s so hard to enforce.”

Published on January 16, 2014 at 2:31 am

Contact Jacob: jspramuk@syr.edu