Oct 1, 2008 5:42 pm US/Eastern
New Law Requires Reporting Stolen, Lost Guns
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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A new city law hopes to bring down the number of guns sold illegally on the black market.
CBS
A new city law hopes to bring down the number of guns sold illegally on the black market. The law gives gun owners only two days to report their gun was lost or stolen.
Derek Valcourt explains why city officials think the new law will help.
The concern is too often gun owners don't report their weapon was stolen until it's used in the commission of a crime.
To buy a gun, you've got to go through background checks. Criminals can't get them legally, so many buy them on the black market and then use them in a crime.
When police investigate and interview the last registered owner of the gun, too often they're told the gun was lost or stolen and the owner forgot to report it. Now under a new city law, gun owners only have two days to report their registered weapon was lost or stolen or face a misdemeanor charge and a $500 fine.
Mayor Sheila Dixon says it's one more tool to help control Baltimore's gun violence.
"And so we are hoping that we can show over a period of time that as a result of having those guns that are stolen registered that we can document and trace back that they commit crimes in the long run," she said.
"I think it will make it a lot harder for the black market to get new guns in," said Matt Fenton.
Fenton is an anti-gun violence advocate who himself was once shot during a robbery. He credits the mayor and police commissioner for the new law, which he calls a good step.
"I think every little bit helps make the black market less useful and maybe they won't sell as many guns to as many criminals. It may be that some murders may not happen because of that," he said.
Mayor Dixon says she hopes Baltimore's law will open the door for a statewide law in the future, although the state legislature has already rejected similar legislation in the past.
The new law takes effect November 11.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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