Crime

Investigation finds nearly 1 in 8 Tennesseans trying to buy guns from online marketplace were legally prohibited from purchase

NASHVILLE PRIDE — Investigators posted ads in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and Ohio for gun sales.

Published

5 years ago

February 17, 2019

By Pride Newsdesk

The Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, responded after a yearlong Everytown investigation uncovered nearly 1.2 million ads on Armslist for firearm sales that would not legally require a criminal background check. Those ads included 83,656 ads for guns for sale in Tennessee, the third-highest number of ads in the country.

As part of the Armslist investigation, investigators posted ads in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and Ohio for gun sales that would not require a background check. Of the people who responded with interest in buying a gun in Tennessee, nearly one in eight buyers was legally prohibited from buying or possessing a gun, and would have failed a background check at a licensed gun dealer.

Despite this, Tennessee lawmakers continue to introduce legislation that would undermine the state’s permitting system by making it easy for people to carry loaded handguns in public without a background check. As of the filing deadline, Tennessee lawmakers have filed bills that would weaken the permitting system and prevent law enforcement from enforcing the law, along with bills undermining the efficacy of the permit system’s background check. The intent of these bills is to move Tennessee closer to becoming one of the small handful of states that allow ‘permitless carry.’ The few states that have eliminated their permitting requirement altogether have seen a substantial increase in firearm violence.

“This investigation makes it clear that it is far too easy for someone with a dangerous history to get a gun in Tennessee,” said Kat McRitchie, volunteer leader with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Yet our lawmakers remain fixated on laws that threaten our permitting system and put our communities in danger, instead of working on legislation that would actually make Tennessee safer.”

This report comes as Tennessee lawmakers continue to introduce legislation that removes safeguards that ensure people with dangerous histories don’t carry loaded handguns in public places. A poll conducted in 2017 showed that 93% of Tennessee voters (including 93% of Republicans, 88% of gun owners and 89% of current permit holders) support the state’s current permit requirement for carrying a handgun in public.

Everytown also unveiled a new website, <everytownresearch.org/unchecked>, which allows people to search and compare the national, state and county numbers of ads placed on Armslist for gun sales where no background check was legally required.

This article originally appeared in the Nashville Pride.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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California Black Media

Anti-Theft Bill with Jail-Time Requirement Gets Wide Ranging Support

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24. Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Published

7 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman speaks as Asm. James Ramos (D-San Bernardino), left, stands beside him at a news conference in Sacramento concerning retail theft across the state.

By California Black Media

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24.

Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Co-authored by Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) and Devon Mathis (R-Tulare), AB 1772 would require jail time “of one to three years for theft crimes depending upon the circumstances.

“Offenses would include grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, carjacking, robbery, receiving stolen property, shoplifting or mail theft,” the bill language reads.

Ramos said the need to act is urgent.

“It’s time for us to reverse the spikes in theft crimes since the pandemic. Our law enforcement members and district attorneys need additional tools such as AB 1772. We must reverse the trend before the problem grows worse. Last year I requested a state audit of the impact of Prop 47 on Riverside and San Bernardino counties,” said Ramos.

Prop 47 is the California initiative, approved by voters in 2014, that reclassified some felonies to misdemeanors and raised the minimum amount for most misdemeanor thefts from $400 to $950.

According to a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the rate of occurrence of petty crimes like shoplifting and commercial burglaries have increased by double digits over the last four years.

In Orange County alone, commercial burglaries have spiked by 54%.

“Our communities are experiencing an increase in retail crime and deserve appropriate action from their legislators,” Valencia said.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus thanked Ramos.

“This bill, designed to impose stricter penalties on serial retail theft suspects, responds urgently to the escalating consequences of shoplifting and related crimes on our communities,” he said.

AB 1772 supporters who spoke at the gathering included Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper and San Bernardino Chief of Police Darren Goodman. Listed as supporters are the California State Sheriff’s Association, City of Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez and Redlands Chamber of Commerce.