New York Today: What Are New York’s Gun Laws?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/04/nyregion/new-york-today-what-are-new-yorks-gun-laws.html

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Good morning on this mild Wednesday.

New York continues to mourn the victims of the attack in Las Vegas, one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.

A vigil was held at New York University on Monday, and another at Brooklyn Borough Hall last night, for those killed in Las Vegas and other victims of gun violence.

As more details emerge about the Las Vegas shooting and the gunman who carried it out, we wanted to know how gun laws in our city and state compare to those in Nevada, and other areas of the country.

“New York State, as a whole, has stronger gun safety laws than the rest of the country,” said Adam Skaggs, chief counsel for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “It’s also one of a handful of states that allows cities to have their own gun laws.”

How do New York’s gun laws differ from other states?

In New York, you must obtain a permit and pass a rigorous background check for all gun purchases. In most states, buying a gun from a private seller — in a classified ad or online — does not require a permit or passing a background check, Mr. Skaggs said. In New York, even if you meet the requirements to purchase a gun, law enforcement may still deny you. Also, if your gun is lost or stolen, you are required to report it to the police.

What are the state’s rules for owning assault weapons?

Under the 2013 Safe Act, passed after the 2012 mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School, New York prohibits the purchase or possession of large-capacity magazines and assault-style weapons (unless you owned the gun before January 2013). Other semiautomatic weapons, in which the trigger must be pulled to fire each bullet, are legal in New York, but you cannot legally purchase a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds. In Nevada, and much of the country, Mr. Skaggs said, magazine capacities are not regulated.

Are the laws in New York City different than the state?

Yes. The city’s permitting and licensing requirements “are among the strongest in the country,” Mr. Skaggs said. New York City has its own regulations, which include filing a 17-page handgun license application form, along with a host of documents in person. The Police Department interviews all applicants. The safe-storage requirement in the city is stricter than the state: All guns in the city must be secured with a safety-locking device when not in use.

How many handgun licenses are there in New York City?

In New York City, 41,162 people have licenses to possess firearms, according to the Police Department. Around 22,500 of these licenses are issued to security guards, or to individuals who have handguns in their businesses or homes. Aside from retired law enforcement officers, there are fewer than 2,500 people who have full carry permits, which allow them to carry a handgun around the city anywhere they are permitted.

Here’s what else is happening:

Not much to say about today’s weather, other than it’s looking pretty dang good.

Look up and you’ll see a crystalline sky and lots o’ sunshine.

The day’s high is about 77.

• The mayor has named a new correction commissioner, Cynthia Brann, who will oversee the troubled and publicly criticized Rikers Island jail complex. [New York Times]

• Locals in Greenwich Village are seeking to have a street named after the rock icon, and former love-generation resident, Jimi Hendrix. [New York Times]

• Jurors hearing the case of the man on trial for a bombing in Chelsea last year were presented with evidence, some of which included articles found on the defendant’s laptop about how to make explosives. [New York Times]

• The former secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, testified about a meeting she had with the senators Robert Menendez and Harry Reid in 2012. [New York Times]

• A notorious landlord, who regularly landed on the city’s “worst landlord” list, began his one-year sentence on Rikers Island, after pleading guilty to felony charges last month. [New York Times]

• Thirty people are charged with using fake placards to park in special reserved spots and avoid paying tickets. [New York Times]

• The native New Yorker and brief aid to the Trump administration, Anthony Scaramucci, celebrated the launch of his new media platform, “The Scaramucci Post,” at his Midtown restaurant. [New York Times]

• The half-a-billion-dollar renovations planned for David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center were sent back to the drawing board, as the center announced it’s seeking simpler ways to improve the hall. [New York Times]

• One of several schools planned for Long Island City has been constructed and is expected to have room for about 1,000 students, according to the Department of Education. [DNA Info]

• Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that New York State, partnering with Unicef, would be sending additional aid to Puerto Rico. [New York Post]

• A website’s study has found that New Yorkers are paying some of the highest A.T.M. fees in the nation. [NBC New York]

• Today’s Metropolitan Diary: “Helping a Hurt Pigeon on Columbus Avenue”

• For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Morning Briefing.

• Start your day in silence at “Quiet Mornings,” and enjoy early hours at the Museum of Modern Art. Beginning at 7:30 a.m. [$25]

• Learn how to make the best mathematical analyses for games at the discussion “This Game is Rigged! How math can make you a winner” at the National Museum of Mathematics. 4 and 7 p.m. [Free]

• The opening reception of an exhibition of art from people incarcerated at Rikers Island at MPS Art Therapy Project Space in Midtown Manhattan. 5 p.m. [Free]

• A screening of the film “(T)error” kicks of the Women’s Film series at the Bronx Documentary Center. 7 p.m. [$10 suggested donation]

• Alternate-side parking remains in effect until Oct 5.

• For more events, see The New York Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide.

A heads-up for architecture geeks, lookie-loos and design fiends.

Open House New York, the popular event that gives New Yorkers a behind-the-scenes look at some of our most important buildings, is fast approaching.

The event is next weekend, but a list of participating sites will be revealed to the public today.

And we suggest you take a look early.

While you can stop by many of the more than 200 buildings and projects for free, some of the more exclusive tours and events require advance registration (and a $5 fee), and they often sell out quickly.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Along with past participants like the Little Red Lighthouse in Washington Heights, Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx and the Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing, Queens, new additions this year include: the Bridge at Cornell Tech, a recently completed research and development incubator on Roosevelt Island; a secret archway gymnasium housed in a former barracks at Liggett Hall on Governors Island; and the archives of the New York Transit Museum.

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