Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to introduce legislation that would create a statewide online registry of individuals convicted of gun-related offenses.

Res. No. 360

Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to introduce legislation that would create a statewide online registry of individuals convicted of gun-related offenses.

By Council Members Vallone, Constantinides, Johnson, Rodriguez and Cohen (by request of the Bronx Borough President)

Whereas, Gun offenders wreak havoc in many neighborhoods across the United States; and                     

Whereas, According to the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), in New York City alone, there were 1,103 shootings in 2013; and

Whereas, According to the NYPD’s weekly CompStat report, 576 people have been shot in New York City this year as of June 22, 2014; an increase of 11.8% during the same period in 2013; and

Whereas, Individuals convicted of gun violence should not only be punished by being sent to jail and prison, but should be required to register as gun offenders with law enforcement officials; and 

Whereas, Studies have shown that individuals who carry illegal guns pose a high risk of recidivism; and

Whereas, Therefore gun offenders should be monitored to prevent them from reoffending and to ensure their prompt apprehension if they commit further crimes; and

Whereas, For this reason, the New York City Council passed Local Law 29 of 2006, known as the Gun Offender Registration Act (“GORA”), which created the first registry of gun offenders in the United States; and

Whereas, GORA is modeled after the existing public registries for sex offenders; and

Whereas, GORA was intended as a surveillance tool by law enforcement officials and other city agencies and cannot be viewed by the public; and

Whereas, GORA specifically requires an individual convicted of certain subdivisions within criminal possession of a weapon in the third or second degree to register his or her name, current address and other pertinent information with the NYPD and to report to the NYPD every six months; and

Whereas, The only gun offenders required to register under GORA are those convicted of the enumerated offenses in a court in the city of New York; and

Whereas, Therefore, a person convicted of an applicable gun offense by a court outside of the city of New York would not be required to register; and

Whereas, In order to prevent gun offenders from re-offending, New York State should create a state-wide gun offender registry; and

Whereas, New York City and State would benefit tremendously from a statewide gun offender registry; and 

Whereas, In addition, like the New York State Sex Offender Registry, it would be helpful for a statewide gun offender registry to be made available online to the public to notify communities about offenders who have the potential to re-offend; and

Whereas, New York State should enact legislation creating a statewide gun offender registry in order to prevent future homicides and shootings; now, therefore, be it

                           Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York State Legislature to introduce legislation that would create a statewide online registry of individuals convicted of gun-related offenses.

SA

6/30/14

LS 1664