SETH MICHAEL MEYER
Assistant News Editor
Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of D.C. Saturday in support of gun law reform. Marchers came together in light of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., last month which left 17 students and faculty dead and many more wounded.
Many politicians have made various suggestions for gun reform in response to the widespread demonstration from those who feel that gun laws across the country are lax. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is no exception and proposed that his 2013 SAFE Act should be implemented nationwide.
“In the aftermath of Sandy Hook, New York did more than send our thoughts and prayers,” Cuomo said in a statement. “The SAFE Act didn’t affect sportsmen, hunters or legal gun owners — but it reduced the risk to our children, to our families and to our communities.”
The New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act was ratified in 2013 after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary and the Webster, N.Y., shooting.
“Mr. Cuomo signed the bill less than an hour after the State Assembly approved it by a 104 to 43 vote on the second full day of the 2013 legislative session,” the New York Times reports, referring to the bipartisanship of the bill. “The State Senate, which had in the past resisted more restrictive gun laws, approved the measure 43 to 18.”
According to Cuomo, the legislation changes many things including stricter background checks, harsh punishments for illegal weapon ownership and restrictions to those with mental illnesses.
According to a guidance document from the New York State Office of Mental Health, the Mental Hygiene Law of sections 9.46 of the SAFE Act requires certain medical professionals to report their concerns of patients who may be a danger to themselves or others. If the county medical health official is in agreement with the report, the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) “will then determine whether the person possesses a firearms license and, if so, will notify the appropriate local licensing official, who must suspend or revoke the license as soon as practicable.”
The standard of reporting a patient, the guidance document reports, is consistent with the standards of non-voluntary admittance into a psychiatric facility.
Some experts have said that this provision may have an impact on mental health care. An article from USA Today investigated critics’ arguments about this controversial bill: “Dr. Paul Appelbaum at Columbia University said the prospect of being reported to local mental health authorities and maybe the police might discourage people from revealing thoughts of harm to a therapist, or even from seeking treatment at all.”
Nevertheless, the SAFE Act has been in effect for nearly five years and it has made its impact. According to data collected by PolitiFact from the DCJS, “In 2016, there were 10,007 violent crimes with a firearm reported to police . . . In 2013, there were 12,235.”
PolitiFact reports, “The percentage of violent crimes with a firearm also fell from 16 percent in 2013 to 13.5 percent in 2016.”
This bill, which Cuomo has suggested be implemented nationwide, goes further by adding provisions regarding domestic violence. According to the SAFE Act website, under this bill, targets and violators of orders of protections will have their pistol permits suspended or revoked by the courts. It also requires that “individuals who own a firearm and live with someone who has been convicted of a felony or domestic violence-related misdemeanor, involuntarily committed or is under an order of protection, to ensure the firearm is safely stored and secured.”
Cuomo thinks that his SAFE Act may be the answer to the gun question that has been shaking our nation since the Columbine shooting in 1999.