Any time a firearms-related thread is created on FreeRepublic, please be sure to add the "banglist" keyword to it so that interested FReepers don't miss it. Just a suggestion.
Let Freedom Ring,
Posted on 01/16/2013 4:59:39 AM PST by Tailgunner Joe
AUSTIN -- The City of Austin's Health and Human Services Committee spent the first hour of its Tuesday meeting discussing ways to expand gun control and safety.
"We are taking part in an important discussion that's going on at the national level," said Austin City Council member Mike Martinez.
The committee took part in a question/answer session with Austin Police Assistant Chief Sean Mannix. Mannix says since 2010, Austin police seized more than 780 guns through a buy-back program called Guns for Groceries. Mannix says the weapons seized are either destroyed or used by the police department.
APD also has a firearms unit focused on gun crimes at gun shows and illegal gun smuggling stings. The department is also a member of The Major City Chief's Association, which engages in discussion with Vice President Joe Biden related to legislation requiring states to recognize concealed carry laws and to require background checks at gun shows.
Committee members asked if the City of Austin has statistics on how much gun violence is connected to gun shows. Mannix said, "No, the background of a firearm in Texas is hard to trace."
They asked Mannix what APD is doing to enforce gun lock-up laws in private homes.
"We usually respond after something bad has happened, rather than going into private homes and enforcing laws for citizens who fail to secure their guns," Mannix said.
Andy Mormon, the mayor's chief of staff, says Mayor Lee Leffingwell is one of five mayors in Texas who are part of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition. The group aims to prevent guns from going into the wrong hands, to require every gun buyer pass a criminal background check, to get guns off streets and make gun trafficking a federal crime.
"When the mayor speaks, he speaks for the City of Austin. He represents us," said Martinez.
The committee talked about the Travis County commissioner's decision Tuesday to allow nine more gun show contracts to take place this year. Then it went into executive session to discuss legalities of local gun restrictions.
Ed Scruggs is calling upon City leaders to ban gun shows from Austin public places. On Tuesday he presented the committee with a petition with 346 signatures urging City leaders to ban guns in public places.
Several members of the public spoke at the meeting.
Any time a firearms-related thread is created on FreeRepublic, please be sure to add the "banglist" keyword to it so that interested FReepers don't miss it. Just a suggestion.
Let Freedom Ring,
Wow! 346 out of over 800,000? Is that a groundswell of popular support or what?
As a Texan and part-time Austinite, there is so much stupid in this one article that it hurts, and just about all involved can go to hell.
I don’t live in Travis County but have to drive to Austin everyday for work. I call it the city of “Austism”. The oxygen thieves in Austin have no problem spending money on every stupid liberal idea that comes up. Bike trails instead of addressing the massive traffic problem, mass-transit money pits, arts in downtown area, green energy, junkets for city leaders to see how other European cities function, and a host of other liberal pipe dreams.
My office is right on the edge of Austin and another city and I make a conscience effort to always eat lunch and shop out of Austin. I avoid the town at all costs outside of work so they don’t get my money to spend on their stupid crap.
All the newcomers in Austin fled California, and immediately tried to turn Austin into California.
Truth is this is nothing but a feel good law...it has no teeth in that even the Austin DA would not try to enforce it because it would be political suicide and secondly a fresh out of law school attorney would win the case since it defys the constitution in so many aspects!!
‘They asked Mannix what APD is doing to enforce gun lock-up laws in private homes.
“We usually respond after something bad has happened, rather than going into private homes and enforcing laws for citizens who fail to secure their guns,” Mannix said’
Wow, thats quite the statement!
unbelievable that the question was asked and that it was justified by an answer.
From the TEXAS Declaration of Independence from Mexico..
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/texdec.asp
“It has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defence, the rightful property of freemen, and formidable only to tyrannical governments.”
THE RIGHTFUL PROPERTY OF FREEMEN! Even Texas understood it!
The question I could understand...the place is a loonie bin. Its expected. The answer though, WOW!!!! I wonder if the hippies et al would like the APD rummaging around to make sure they weren’t illegal users of drugs or kiddie porn.
Wow, that is epic fail in a city that has close to 1 million population in the city and surrounding suburban areas. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot said he sue Travis Co. if they banned gun shows and he would see them in court.
Ping!!!
Texas is a right to carry state, and if all is right in the world, we will have the choice of open or concealed carry when our legislature votes on the bill that is being debated at present.
It’s hard to tell where Lakeway stops and Austin begins anymore. About every other new resident I meet has moved here from California—and surprisingly, several have told me that our gun laws here were one of the things that brought them here—that and the prospect of jobs.
Austin does have alot of good Mexican resturants!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.