Syniks
03-06-2005, 17:30
Now non-lethal methods of self defense useable by the weak &/or disabled require regulation...
State to restrict stun-gun buys
Firearm ID card, 1-day wait will be required (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0506030170jun03,1,5722054.story?page=1&coll=chi-news-hed)
By Christi Parsons and Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporters
Published June 3, 2005
Gov. Rod Blagojevich plans to sign legislation Friday that would require people who want to buy Tasers or other stun guns in Illinois to submit to a background check, just as if they were buying a rifle or other firearm.
The legislation, overwhelmingly approved by state lawmakers with little fanfare this spring, is the strongest response so far in the state to concerns that stun guns are potentially deadly and easy to misuse.
At the same time, a Chicago alderman is pushing a measure to require that sellers report the names of stun-gun buyers to the police, creating a paper trail that investigators could use if crimes are committed with them.
The bill on the governor's desk applies to civilians, although the sponsor said it was inspired in part by the death of a Chicago man after police used a Taser on him this year.
The measure would require stun-gun buyers in Illinois to have a state firearm owner's identification card--which requires a criminal background check--and wait at least 24 hours before making their purchase.
Though critics contend stun guns aren't lethal, sponsors of the proposals say they are just as dangerous as firearms.
"It only makes sense that civilians be required to undergo criminal background checks and a waiting period before they buy something capable of administering that kind of force," said state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), author of the bill on the governor's desk. "We should make the standards tougher for these things, which have enough voltage to kill somebody."
But sellers are angry about the proposals, which they say wrongly target law-abiding citizens who just want to be able to protect themselves. Stun guns should be available to anyone who thinks they need one, they argue.
Gregory Tropino, owner of G.A.T. Guns in Dundee Township, said he thinks elected officials are trying to solve problems that don't exist. The complaints are generally about how police use stun guns, and not about abuse by civilians, he said.
"I haven't seen statistics that say they're being used that often," Tropino said. "I don't see the necessity for the law when there's not a problem with it."
Stun guns have come under heightened scrutiny in recent years, as increased police use has drawn complaints across the nation that the devices involve excessive force and can kill in some cases. In February, a Chicago man died after police shocked him with a Taser when he tried to bite an officer, though medical examiners said Thursday they aren't certain if the stun gun was a factor in the death.
Though most criticism centers on how about 7,000 police departments nationwide are using stun guns, there are reports of street violence involving the weapons. A 20-year-old Elgin man who died after a mob fight in March was shocked several times with a stun gun by someone involved in the melee, police said, though the coroner determined the cause of death was a blow to the head. And in Round Lake, a high school student was suspended after he shocked another student with a stun gun two years ago.
In response to safety concerns, several cities and seven states have banned stun guns for civilian use, and this year state lawmakers in other states have considered passing almost three dozen laws to restrict the right to buy and own them. Illinois would be the first state to require a firearm license to own a stun gun, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures
Taser International, the maker of Tasers, said it has sold more than 100,000 stun guns to private citizens since 1994, when the company began selling to the public. The company is pushing to increase civilian sales but refused to say how many Tasers have been sold in Illinois.
Stun guns work by delivering a high voltage, low amperage shock that makes it difficult for the target to move and function for a few seconds. Often similar to a television remote control in shape and size, many stun guns require the user to make physical contact with the target.
The Taser models, on the other hand, can work from several feet away. They use compressed nitrogen to propel wires capped with electrodes. Because they don't use gunpowder, they aren't considered handguns and so are not regulated by the federal government.
Some stun guns sell for as little as $30. Tasers marketed to private citizens can cost as much as $1,000.
Illinois law generally prohibits people from carrying stun guns anywhere but at their homes and businesses. Bradley Tusk, a top aide to the governor, said Blagojevich would sign the new measure into law Friday.
Chicago Ald. Edward Burke (14th) originally proposed a ban on the sale and possession of stun guns in the city. But after he discovered that ownership is legal under state law, he decided to push instead for an ordinance requiring sellers to report all sales to the Police Department. Police would keep track of those sales.
If a stun gun is used in a robbery or other crime, Burke argues, police will have the advantage of knowing to whom the device was sold.
The proposal is awaiting consideration by a City Council committee.
Although Tasers are available on the Internet, Burke believes the company would voluntarily comply with an ordinance.
"They are a vendor to the city, and every police sergeant now has Taser," Burke said. "If they would not comply with notification and registration provisions, the city would not agree to purchase their product."
The maker of Tasers insists the products are not deadly. Taser International officials said the company requires criminal background checks for civilians who buy directly from it and refuses to sell to felons.
Any time a civilian model is fired, it releases at least 20 pieces of tiny confetti bearing the serial number, making it possible to trace to the company's records of registered owners.
"No other weapon in the world--guns, knives, chemical and pepper sprays, electronic defense units, or batons--can be traced from evidence at the scene of the crime to the registration of the user," Taser International spokesman Steve Tuttle said.
The National Rifle Association did not actively oppose the stun-gun measure in the legislature. But some local gun dealers, many of whom also sell stun guns, said the changes are a bad idea.
Roger Krahl, owner of R Guns in Carpentersville, said the licensing requirement amounts to at least a monthlong waiting period for people who don't have the firearm identification card. State police can take that long to process an application.
"It's getting to the point where it's ridiculous," Krahl said.
"What's next? Are we going to need a FOID card to own kitchen knives?"
-----
If you live in England, possibly....
State to restrict stun-gun buys
Firearm ID card, 1-day wait will be required (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0506030170jun03,1,5722054.story?page=1&coll=chi-news-hed)
By Christi Parsons and Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporters
Published June 3, 2005
Gov. Rod Blagojevich plans to sign legislation Friday that would require people who want to buy Tasers or other stun guns in Illinois to submit to a background check, just as if they were buying a rifle or other firearm.
The legislation, overwhelmingly approved by state lawmakers with little fanfare this spring, is the strongest response so far in the state to concerns that stun guns are potentially deadly and easy to misuse.
At the same time, a Chicago alderman is pushing a measure to require that sellers report the names of stun-gun buyers to the police, creating a paper trail that investigators could use if crimes are committed with them.
The bill on the governor's desk applies to civilians, although the sponsor said it was inspired in part by the death of a Chicago man after police used a Taser on him this year.
The measure would require stun-gun buyers in Illinois to have a state firearm owner's identification card--which requires a criminal background check--and wait at least 24 hours before making their purchase.
Though critics contend stun guns aren't lethal, sponsors of the proposals say they are just as dangerous as firearms.
"It only makes sense that civilians be required to undergo criminal background checks and a waiting period before they buy something capable of administering that kind of force," said state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), author of the bill on the governor's desk. "We should make the standards tougher for these things, which have enough voltage to kill somebody."
But sellers are angry about the proposals, which they say wrongly target law-abiding citizens who just want to be able to protect themselves. Stun guns should be available to anyone who thinks they need one, they argue.
Gregory Tropino, owner of G.A.T. Guns in Dundee Township, said he thinks elected officials are trying to solve problems that don't exist. The complaints are generally about how police use stun guns, and not about abuse by civilians, he said.
"I haven't seen statistics that say they're being used that often," Tropino said. "I don't see the necessity for the law when there's not a problem with it."
Stun guns have come under heightened scrutiny in recent years, as increased police use has drawn complaints across the nation that the devices involve excessive force and can kill in some cases. In February, a Chicago man died after police shocked him with a Taser when he tried to bite an officer, though medical examiners said Thursday they aren't certain if the stun gun was a factor in the death.
Though most criticism centers on how about 7,000 police departments nationwide are using stun guns, there are reports of street violence involving the weapons. A 20-year-old Elgin man who died after a mob fight in March was shocked several times with a stun gun by someone involved in the melee, police said, though the coroner determined the cause of death was a blow to the head. And in Round Lake, a high school student was suspended after he shocked another student with a stun gun two years ago.
In response to safety concerns, several cities and seven states have banned stun guns for civilian use, and this year state lawmakers in other states have considered passing almost three dozen laws to restrict the right to buy and own them. Illinois would be the first state to require a firearm license to own a stun gun, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures
Taser International, the maker of Tasers, said it has sold more than 100,000 stun guns to private citizens since 1994, when the company began selling to the public. The company is pushing to increase civilian sales but refused to say how many Tasers have been sold in Illinois.
Stun guns work by delivering a high voltage, low amperage shock that makes it difficult for the target to move and function for a few seconds. Often similar to a television remote control in shape and size, many stun guns require the user to make physical contact with the target.
The Taser models, on the other hand, can work from several feet away. They use compressed nitrogen to propel wires capped with electrodes. Because they don't use gunpowder, they aren't considered handguns and so are not regulated by the federal government.
Some stun guns sell for as little as $30. Tasers marketed to private citizens can cost as much as $1,000.
Illinois law generally prohibits people from carrying stun guns anywhere but at their homes and businesses. Bradley Tusk, a top aide to the governor, said Blagojevich would sign the new measure into law Friday.
Chicago Ald. Edward Burke (14th) originally proposed a ban on the sale and possession of stun guns in the city. But after he discovered that ownership is legal under state law, he decided to push instead for an ordinance requiring sellers to report all sales to the Police Department. Police would keep track of those sales.
If a stun gun is used in a robbery or other crime, Burke argues, police will have the advantage of knowing to whom the device was sold.
The proposal is awaiting consideration by a City Council committee.
Although Tasers are available on the Internet, Burke believes the company would voluntarily comply with an ordinance.
"They are a vendor to the city, and every police sergeant now has Taser," Burke said. "If they would not comply with notification and registration provisions, the city would not agree to purchase their product."
The maker of Tasers insists the products are not deadly. Taser International officials said the company requires criminal background checks for civilians who buy directly from it and refuses to sell to felons.
Any time a civilian model is fired, it releases at least 20 pieces of tiny confetti bearing the serial number, making it possible to trace to the company's records of registered owners.
"No other weapon in the world--guns, knives, chemical and pepper sprays, electronic defense units, or batons--can be traced from evidence at the scene of the crime to the registration of the user," Taser International spokesman Steve Tuttle said.
The National Rifle Association did not actively oppose the stun-gun measure in the legislature. But some local gun dealers, many of whom also sell stun guns, said the changes are a bad idea.
Roger Krahl, owner of R Guns in Carpentersville, said the licensing requirement amounts to at least a monthlong waiting period for people who don't have the firearm identification card. State police can take that long to process an application.
"It's getting to the point where it's ridiculous," Krahl said.
"What's next? Are we going to need a FOID card to own kitchen knives?"
-----
If you live in England, possibly....