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Jun 5, 2006 7:33 pm US/Eastern
Gun Crime Offenders May Soon Have A Registry
Bloomberg Goes Hard After Criminals With Bold Proposal
NEW YORK (AP) ―
Criminals convicted of gun crimes in New York City would have to register and update their addresses -- similar to sex offenders -- under a law proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday.
The measure to further crack down on illegal guns goes before the City Council.
The registry would require offenders convicted of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree to list their addresses and check in every six months, for four years after their convictions.
The City Council also will seek to ban gun painting kits that are used to make real guns look like toys. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said guns painted in playful fluorescent colors endanger officers who must assess risk when they're faced with someone brandishing a weapon.
A spokeswoman for the lobbying group New Yorkers Against Gun Violence applauded the mayor for spearheading such legislation.
"He's been good onthe issue in the past, but certainly this year he's been tremendous," Jackie Cuhls said. "He's established himself as a national leader on the issue."
The National Rifle Assocation's chief lobbyist, Chris Cox, said a gun offender registry is unnecessary because the criminal record system tracks felons.
And banning paint kits, Cox added, "is not going to bring down crime rates."
On Sunday, Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said 37 more mayors have signed on to fight illegal guns. They join the 15 who convened in New York in April for the first Mayors Summit on Illegal Guns.
At the summit the mayors signed a resolution to combat gun violence and said they hoped to pressure the federal government and state legislatures to strengthen anti-gun laws.
New additions to the coalition include the mayors of Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston and Miami.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
