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VPC Recommendations for Securing Firearms and Ammunition During Disasters
VPC ^ | Josh Sugarmann

Posted on 09/30/2005 9:10:54 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan

VPC Recommendations for Securing Firearms and Ammunition During Disasters

As another potentially devastating hurricane barrels toward the U.S., the VPC offers a series of recommendations to ensure that large inventories of guns and ammunition held by local Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders are secure in order to prevent the gun violence that marred rescue and recovery efforts in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina.

"Emergency officials who prepared Louisiana's plan for responding to a major hurricane never guessed that one of their duties would be to protect aid workers from gunmen, one of the state's senior disaster officials said Monday....

No disaster planner, he said, predicted that people would loot gun stores after the storm and shoot at police, rescue officials and helicopters."

"Disaster official at NY symposium: Planners didn't anticipate gun problem after Katrina," Associated Press, September 12, 2005

To prevent the gun violence that wreaked havoc on rescue and recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Violence Policy Center offers a series of policy recommendations to ensure that firearms and ammunition in the control of the nation's 60,000 Federal Firearms License holders (FFLs) is secured against theft and looting in the event of an emergency situation.

Implement Minimum Safety and Security Standards for Gun Stores and Pawn Shops

Under current law, gun dealers are under no obligation to ensure that their inventories of firearms and ammunition are securely stored, not even in the event of an emergency evacuation or disaster area declaration. The lack of secure storage requirements virtually guarantees the likelihood that firearms and ammunition will be looted in the wake of a major natural disaster, riot, or terrorist attack.

Congress should require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to implement permanent, minimum safety and security standards for windows, doors, storage areas, containers, safes, alarms, etc. in all licensed gun stores, pawn shops and other retailers that sell firearms, e.g. Walmarts.

Institute Special Security Rules for Emergencies

Permanent security requirements should be augmented with additional safeguards to be activated in the event of an emergency. For example, a requirement that large retailers temporarily turn their firearm and ammunition inventories over to local law enforcement authorities or remove them from the area in the event of a mandatory evacuation order would prevent a recurrence of the situation that transpired in New Orleans where looters emptied the gun department of the local Walmart and plundered gun stores.

Notify Law Enforcement Agencies of Inventories of Especially Lethal Firearms and Ammunition

In the event of a terrorist attack, riot, or severe storm like Katrina, local law enforcement should have specific information regarding which gun dealers have in their inventories firearms that pose a particular threat to public safety. Dealers who sell machine guns, assault weapons, 50 caliber anti-armor sniper rifles, or armor-piercing ammunition should be required to submit information on the make, model, and number of such weapons in their inventories to local law enforcement agencies on a regular basis.

Tighten Reporting Requirements for Stolen and Missing Firearms

Current federal law requires FFLs to report to law enforcement authorities the theft or loss of a firearm within 48 hours of discovery of the loss. This weak standard allows dealers to use virtually any reason as an excuse for failure to "discover" that a gun is missing. This requirement should be strengthened to shorten the elapsed time to 24 hours and require that the report be made when a firearm is "discovered or should have been discovered" to be missing.

Establish Enhanced Penalties for Using a Firearm to Impede Emergency Operations

Individuals who fire at emergency and rescue personnel who are engaged in rescue and recovery operations should be subject to enhanced jail sentences.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist; sugarmann; vpc
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1 posted on 09/30/2005 9:10:55 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan
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To: Dan from Michigan

Betters solution: LOOTERS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT


2 posted on 09/30/2005 9:15:03 PM PDT by supercat (Don't fix blame--FIX THE PROBLEM.)
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To: Dan from Michigan

Another thing they didn't count on ...were corrupt cops looting, holing up in hotels with their booty and threatening innocent citizens. So Walmart turns over their inventory to these types?


3 posted on 09/30/2005 9:21:27 PM PDT by LaineyDee (Don't mess with Texas wimmen!)
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To: Dan from Michigan
I'd like to suggest Josh Sugarmann do something anatomically impossible to himself.
4 posted on 09/30/2005 9:26:03 PM PDT by flashbunny (Do you believe in the Constitution only until it keeps the government from doing what you want?)
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To: Dan from Michigan
"Emergency officials who prepared Louisiana's plan for responding to a major hurricane never guessed that one of their duties would be to protect aid workers from gunmen,

It turns out most of those stories were exaggerations or outright lies anyway. The best way to secure your firearm during an emergency is to carry it with you, loaded, with the muzzle directed toward the threat. You protect the weapon; the weapon protects you. Symbiosis.

5 posted on 09/30/2005 9:27:23 PM PDT by IronJack
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To: Dan from Michigan

The Violence Policy Center, a notorious gun-hating group, is making recommendations about securing firearms and ammunition in a disaster. Sorry, but this one is making the needle on my B.S. meter go into the red zone.


6 posted on 09/30/2005 9:29:05 PM PDT by billnaz (What part of "shall not be infringed" don't you understand?)
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To: Dan from Michigan
Much of this article is feeding off fairy tales invented by the press. That won't give Sugarmann a moment's pause. He is a rabid anti-gun nutcase. Any excuse will do.

Most FFLs have an enormous amount of money tied up in firearms inventory. They don't want their property stolen. All of the FFLs I patronize have very secure storage. There isn't any need for more government regulations.

7 posted on 09/30/2005 9:57:14 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Dan from Michigan

If the answer is more government intervention it must have been a pretty stupid question


8 posted on 09/30/2005 11:46:33 PM PDT by kublia khan (Absolute war brings total victory)
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To: Dan from Michigan; Ancesthntr; archy; Badray; B4Ranch; Blood of Tyrants; CodeToad; coloradan; ...
How many freepers have their picture on the VPC website?

Just one I know about....ME !!!

You can see it on this VPC page:

Bullet Hoses Semiautomatic Assault Weapons—What Are They? What's So Bad About Them? The Gun Industry's Lies

9 posted on 09/30/2005 11:54:06 PM PDT by Travis McGee (--- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com ---)
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To: Dan from Michigan

Just what we need; more dumbass laws. Rita hit East Texas pretty hard but I didn't notice anybody trying to take my guns. A common sense approach is usually best.


10 posted on 10/01/2005 12:07:04 AM PDT by KarinG1
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To: supercat
"Betters solution: LOOTERS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT"

Including the looting "police".

Semper Fi

11 posted on 10/01/2005 12:26:45 AM PDT by river rat (You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
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To: Travis McGee

?!?!WTF?!?!

You do something about this? Are you able to?

Nice Ingram. Loved those since it was used in, "Escape From New York," by Kurt Russell.


12 posted on 10/01/2005 12:32:10 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Roll your own cigarettes! You'll save $$$ and smoke less!(Magnetic bumper stickers-click my name)
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To: Travis McGee

What in the world were you doing with a MAC-10? Did you expect everyone to be within two yards of you or was that one of those military issue issues?

On the other hand, if you had to fulfill a photo op choosing such would lull the enemy. Never mind.


13 posted on 10/01/2005 3:02:19 AM PDT by NewRomeTacitus (Have faith in God, because Man will disappoint you every time.)
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To: RandallFlagg

Sure that's an Ingram, Walkin' Dude? I thought it was a crappy MAC, though your assessment makes better sense.


14 posted on 10/01/2005 3:07:10 AM PDT by NewRomeTacitus (Have faith in God, because Man will disappoint you every time.)
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To: Dan from Michigan
Individuals who fire at emergency and rescue personnel who are engaged in rescue and recovery operations should be subject to enhanced jail sentences.

Because, you see, right now, shooting at fire and rescue personnel is only a fine and community service. If the perps knew they could go to jail, they would all stop it.

15 posted on 10/01/2005 3:14:01 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: Dan from Michigan
"Emergency officials who prepared Louisiana's plan for responding to a major hurricane never guessed that one of their duties would be to protect aid workers from gunmen, one of the state's senior disaster officials said Monday....

No disaster planner, he said, predicted that people would loot gun stores after the storm and shoot at police, rescue officials and helicopters."


Go read about how the Democrat Governors and Mayors responded to the riots in Newark, NJ and LA! They were running down the street pleading with the looters to be nice and just go home. This was while the looters were wheeling refrigerators, freezers, TVs, cases of liquor and everything else they could get their hands on, home or selling them.

Read a little bit about Captain Mike Moran who was shot in the back while fighting a fire and attempting to rescue a black family on Central Avenue in Newark. You might learn something! I have some news for you. The world did not begin yesterday!

The cardinal rule of riot control still works (when implemented)! You must shoot the first looter. If that doesn't work, you must shoot the second looter. That has yet to fail. If the first two looters are NOT shot, then the death toll will be much higher!
16 posted on 10/01/2005 3:17:42 AM PDT by leprechaun9
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To: flashbunny

Nothing is anatomically impossible for Josh.


17 posted on 10/01/2005 3:20:10 AM PDT by Modok
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To: NewRomeTacitus

According to the text on that pic, it's an Ingram M10.

I had an old weaponry book that went into detail about those firearms.


18 posted on 10/01/2005 4:41:21 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Roll your own cigarettes! You'll save $$$ and smoke less!(Magnetic bumper stickers-click my name)
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To: Travis McGee
Nice pic, Trav. I've always just policed up my brass after I'm done shooting. Catching 'em in your mouth as you shoot is a trick I just never could master. $;-)

Click the Gadsden flag for pro-gun resources!

19 posted on 10/01/2005 4:49:08 AM PDT by Joe Brower (The Constitution defines Conservatism. *NRA*)
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To: Dan from Michigan
lack of secure storage requirements any sense of right and wrong virtually guarantees the likelihood that firearms and ammunition will be looted in the wake of a major natural disaster, riot, or terrorist attack
20 posted on 10/01/2005 4:51:56 AM PDT by LearnsFromMistakes (We know the right things to do, why don't we just do them?)
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