NWPA Sherriff's comment on storage for Act 79

[knight0334]

I've known Sheriff Gottwald personally for over 25 years. He's a good guy, a firearms enthusiast, and has been an FFL for decades. He's vocalizing frustration with the new law that has taken away options once available to a sheriff for the firearms of those with PFAs. Sheriffs have sole responsibility for storing and curating such firearms, and no facility, budget, or manpower to do so. Previously, friends and other family of the PFA recipient were options; not so much now.

Noah

While I don't know Gottwald personally, I do know for a fact that he is absolutely pro-gun. And yes, he is voicing his frustrations with the conditions that Harrisburg has imposed without compensation to make it happen.

Neighboring sheriffs are much like Gottwald.

[JenniferG]

The law of unintended consequences. Lawmakers pass laws they have no idea how they will be implemented or the real effects of the law because they passed a law that makes them look like they doing something. This is an unfunded mandate, something that never works.

[Bang]

Sooner or later, some politician is going to propose that since gun owners create the expense of unfunded mandates heaped upon sheriffs, gun owners need to pay yearly surcharges. They will also argue that fees will cause some gun owners to turn their guns in, getting guns off the streets, a win-win.

[Wilderness 1864]

The law of unintended consequences. Lawmakers pass laws they have no idea how they will be implemented or the real effects of the law because they passed a law that makes them look like they doing something. This is an unfunded mandate, something that never works.

When a legislature passes "Common Sense" gun control laws, the one thing you can be sure of is that common sense will have nothing to do with any of them.

[Mike_Golf]

The law also allows for municipal police departments to collect the guns as well. Most municipalities don’t have tons of secure storage. It’s a huge unfunded mandate. Again.

I can’t imagine there’s not a law against a third-party giving back weapons to a prohibited person. If there isn’t, that seems like an easy fix. The process of the law was intended to jam up gunowners.

[Bang]

Does the law require that someone in the PD or sheriff's office have an FFL? How is the return of guns achieved? If I have a gun on consignment, a background check needs to be done if i retrieve the gun. How does a police department or sheriff's office return guns they have seized (transferred)? If a background must be done, how is the red flag seizure culled from the background?

[stainless]

Wonder if they will encase the long guns and pistols to prevent scratching?...

[Sgt.K]

Does the law require that someone in the PD or sheriff's office have an FFL? How is the return of guns achieved? If I have a gun on consignment, a background check needs to be done if i retrieve the gun. How does a police department or sheriff's office return guns they have seized (transferred)? If a background must be done, how is the red flag seizure culled from the background?

By statute, transfers need to be made by a sheriff or FFL, so I would assume no FFL is actually needed to transfer back to the owner from the sheriff. Feel free to cite if I'm wrong. For that matter, feel free to cite if I'm right...

[JustinR]

By statute, transfers need to be made by a sheriff or FFL, so I would assume no FFL is actually needed to transfer back to the owner from the sheriff. Feel free to cite if I'm wrong. For that matter, feel free to cite if I'm right...

Police can run a PICS check and release a firearm, no FFL needed

[Wilderness 1864]

I've known Sheriff Gottwald personally for over 25 years. He's a good guy, a firearms enthusiast, and has been an FFL for decades. He's vocalizing frustration with the new law that has taken away options once available to a sheriff for the firearms of those with PFAs. Sheriffs have sole responsibility for storing and curating such firearms, and no facility, budget, or manpower to do so. Previously, friends and other family of the PFA recipient were options; not so much now.

Noah

That was my take on his comments. It is impossible, but what to those bent on confiscation care? The reason that other storage or transfer options were written out is that those options would have diluted the "confiscatory" nature of the legislation, which was the whole point of passing it in the first place. The Democrats and the RINOs want government confiscation and nothing less will do.

This was bad enough, but the full blown "rat your neighbor out" or "show perceived disrespect to a policeman" Red Flag confiscation laws are going to be brutal in their applications and results. The legislative game is not about safety, it is about control and confiscation -- at all costs.