Swamped - gun registration
From the Everett, WA
Herald:
State�s handgun database lags far behind sales
Washington residents are buying handguns faster than information on the buyers, sellers and weapons can be put into the state's firearms database used by law enforcement.
The Department of Licensing began November with a backlog of about 106,000 pistol transfers to enter into the database used by city, county and state authorities to find owners of handguns that turn up during investigations.
Last week, employees in the state agency were handling purchases made in March, punching in details on the make, model, serial number and caliber of weapons, as well as who bought them.
With existing staff unable to catch up, the department is asking the governor and lawmakers for $409,000 in next year's supplemental budget to hire several part-timers to clear away the paperwork that is piling up.
"We're required by law to keep up this database," said agency spokeswoman Christine Anthony, noting that hard copies of each sale exist and can be searched by hand if necessary. "We see this as a public safety issue that law enforcement should be able to access this information from their vehicle."
Couple of things:
#1) - WA State does not register long guns (rifles, shotguns, evil looking black assault weapons, machine guns, etc...) so why do they need to register pistols.
#2) - there is no requirement to register the private sale of a pistol (the evil gun show loophole).
#3) - we already have the
Federal form 4473 which is filed for each gun purchase from a dealer so why bother to duplicate that effort.
#4) - $409,000 to fund several part-timers? Good lord -- talk about government inefficiency and waste.
#5) - from the article:
Lt. Shane Nelson of the Washington State Patrol expressed a similar view. He said the state database is "not instrumental" and others are available if needed.
Another case of unnecessary government growth and duplication of services.
Just say no...
Posted by DaveH at December 8, 2013 1:54 PM