TSA
05-03-2013, 09:48 PM
Now imagine this at a National level. Hundreds of millions of dollars. Would be hilarious seeing the liberals cry about the cost their crying about background checks cost them.
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/State-police-swamped-by-background-checks-on-guns-4487385.php
HARTFORD -- State police are overwhelmed with requests for background checks to purchase guns in the wake of the Newtown massacre and new gun control laws.
State police Col. Danny Stebbins on Friday said a backlog in background check requests has exploded to over 62,000 from about 1,000 in December -- a more than 6,000 percent spike.
"The numbers are way up," Stebbins said, explaining that much of the increase is related to private gun sales, which now require a background check along with sales at a retailer.
"We didn't see this coming and there was no way we could be prepared for it," he said.
State Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, and co-chairman of the Legislature's Program, Review and Investigations Committee, said the backlog is alarming.
"That's just outrageous," Kissel said. "We have to serve our law-abiding citizens as well as protect public safety."
The Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates the gun control law will cost taxpayers up to $17 million through the 2015 fiscal year, including more than $4 million for state police to conduct background checks, issue permits and develop and maintain a gun offender registry.
Plans are being readied to hire more personnel to handle the new gun requirements, said Reuben Bradford, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, during testimony Friday over state police staffing levels.
"The backlog of applications is due to an uptick in the purchase of weapons due to passage of the gun bill," Bradford said.
In response to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December that killed 20 children and six adults, the General Assembly last month passed the nation's toughest gun controls.
One new law, which took effect immediately, requires anyone buying a shotgun or rifle to undergo a background check, a process that falls to state police. The law also applies to private sales.
State police will face even more work in the coming months. New eligibility certificates to purchase ammunition come on line in October and in July 2014 anyone purchasing a shotgun will need a long gun eligibility certificate. Assault weapons grandfathered under a new ban must be registered, along with high capacity magazines.
The Program, Review and Investigations Committee on Friday invited testimony on a report released last month on overall state police staffing. The committee is charged with devising new standards after the Legislature last year eliminated the requirement that state police employ a minimum of 1,248 sworn and non-sworn employees.
The department is now required to employ sufficient staff to fulfill its mission of protecting public safety. As of June 2012, the state police had 1,069 members, of which 76 percent were sworn officers.
The State Police department is already doing more with less, said Police Sgt. Andrew Matthews, president of the Connecticut State Police Union.
"There is a real struggle with the Malloy administration trying to be fiscally responsible," Matthews said. "With fewer people, and no money to be spent on overtime, you can't have it both days. We are seeing now that the job is not getting done in some cases."
State police are going to need more sworn officers and civilian workers to handle the background checks, conceded Steven Spellman, chief of staff for the emergency services and public protection department.
"The governor understands we are required to carry out new responsibilities," Spellman said.
Gov. Dannel. P. Malloy has said he wants most of the new workers to be civilians because they earn less than sworn troopers.
Malloy and the Legislature are now negotiating a two-year budget that, among many other responsibilities, will establish staffing levels and funding for the state police.
Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/State-police-swamped-by-background-checks-on-guns-4487385.php#ixzz2SHvNX03S
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/State-police-swamped-by-background-checks-on-guns-4487385.php
HARTFORD -- State police are overwhelmed with requests for background checks to purchase guns in the wake of the Newtown massacre and new gun control laws.
State police Col. Danny Stebbins on Friday said a backlog in background check requests has exploded to over 62,000 from about 1,000 in December -- a more than 6,000 percent spike.
"The numbers are way up," Stebbins said, explaining that much of the increase is related to private gun sales, which now require a background check along with sales at a retailer.
"We didn't see this coming and there was no way we could be prepared for it," he said.
State Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, and co-chairman of the Legislature's Program, Review and Investigations Committee, said the backlog is alarming.
"That's just outrageous," Kissel said. "We have to serve our law-abiding citizens as well as protect public safety."
The Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates the gun control law will cost taxpayers up to $17 million through the 2015 fiscal year, including more than $4 million for state police to conduct background checks, issue permits and develop and maintain a gun offender registry.
Plans are being readied to hire more personnel to handle the new gun requirements, said Reuben Bradford, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, during testimony Friday over state police staffing levels.
"The backlog of applications is due to an uptick in the purchase of weapons due to passage of the gun bill," Bradford said.
In response to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December that killed 20 children and six adults, the General Assembly last month passed the nation's toughest gun controls.
One new law, which took effect immediately, requires anyone buying a shotgun or rifle to undergo a background check, a process that falls to state police. The law also applies to private sales.
State police will face even more work in the coming months. New eligibility certificates to purchase ammunition come on line in October and in July 2014 anyone purchasing a shotgun will need a long gun eligibility certificate. Assault weapons grandfathered under a new ban must be registered, along with high capacity magazines.
The Program, Review and Investigations Committee on Friday invited testimony on a report released last month on overall state police staffing. The committee is charged with devising new standards after the Legislature last year eliminated the requirement that state police employ a minimum of 1,248 sworn and non-sworn employees.
The department is now required to employ sufficient staff to fulfill its mission of protecting public safety. As of June 2012, the state police had 1,069 members, of which 76 percent were sworn officers.
The State Police department is already doing more with less, said Police Sgt. Andrew Matthews, president of the Connecticut State Police Union.
"There is a real struggle with the Malloy administration trying to be fiscally responsible," Matthews said. "With fewer people, and no money to be spent on overtime, you can't have it both days. We are seeing now that the job is not getting done in some cases."
State police are going to need more sworn officers and civilian workers to handle the background checks, conceded Steven Spellman, chief of staff for the emergency services and public protection department.
"The governor understands we are required to carry out new responsibilities," Spellman said.
Gov. Dannel. P. Malloy has said he wants most of the new workers to be civilians because they earn less than sworn troopers.
Malloy and the Legislature are now negotiating a two-year budget that, among many other responsibilities, will establish staffing levels and funding for the state police.
Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/State-police-swamped-by-background-checks-on-guns-4487385.php#ixzz2SHvNX03S