Oswego (WSYR-TV) -- The Sandy Hook school shooting and the Christmas Eve ambush in Webster were big reasons for changes to gun laws here in New York. But now that Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed tougher gun control policies into law, many folks are wondering just how they’ll be enforced.
Oswego County Sheriff Reuel Todd says exactly how and who will enforce the new law is up in the air. His office has not received any official word yet from the state as to what their role will be in all of this.
The bill, signed into law on Tuesday by the Governor, took effect immediately and includes expanded background checks, limiting magazine capacity even more and a tougher ban on assault weapons. Sheriff Todd says they’re already stretched thin when it comes to the number of deputies they have and the ground they need to cover to keep the community safe. On top of all that, he says the sheer number of assault rifles out there make it a challenging task.
"I don't know for the life of me how we're ever going to be able to enforce this,” Sheriff Todd said. “They pass these laws, but they don't ever pass anything to give us more people. Things get mandated down from the state that you have to do this, which means you then have to cut from some other area you are trying to protect."
Sheriff Todd says the law is good intentioned, but he questions how effective it will be. He says more of the focus needs to be placed on helping those with mental health issues and addressing the parole system to keep serious and multiple felony offenders from being let back out on the streets.
On the web --
Highlights of the new legislation from Governor Cuomo's office
