Lessons from Kalifornia's Gun confiscation squad

I saw this fluff piece labeled "World's most dangerous job" on my yahoo news feed and it includes some very important info on what could happen to Amerika if we allow gun registration or even background check legislation to pass.

California's Gun Repo Men Have a Nerve-Racking Job

California is the only state that takes legally obtained weapons away from citizens who are no longer supposed to have them. There are almost 20,000 such gun owners, state records show, including convicted felons, people under domestic violence restraining orders, or those deemed mentally unstable. “What do we do about the guns that are already in the hands of persons who, by law, are considered too dangerous to possess them?”

Many states lack the ability to confiscate firearms because they don’t track purchases as closely as California, which requires most sales to go through a licensed dealer and be reported. “Very, very few states have an archive of firearm owners like we have,” says Wintemute, who helped set up the program.

Who thinks the Feds won't keep a database on everyone who buys a gun under these new proposed laws and use it to send storm troopers to your house if someone in your family falls under one of the selected criteria?

An important thing to keep in mind is that they need to have a search warrant to enter your home and take your guns. This squad uses intimidation and coercion to get folks to give up their weapons, often lacking a legitimate search warrant.

Showing up at people’s homes and demanding their guns is about as fun as it sounds. A felony conviction or restraining order is flagged as a “disqualifying event” in California’s database, but it isn’t sufficient evidence to obtain a search warrant, says John Marsh, a supervising agent who coordinates the seizures. So the agents—there are 33 statewide—often must talk their way into a residence to look for weapons.

During the March 5 outing, the agents visited a home in Fontana, in San Bernardino County. They were looking for a gun owner with a criminal record for running a prostitution business, according to the attorney general’s office. Marsh says that while the woman appeared to be home, she didn’t come to the door. Without a warrant, the team left empty-handed.

Unfortunately, if anyone in your household ends up with one of the qualifying dispositions, it could mean a loss of the ability to protect yourselves from criminals. A spouse with a "mental condition" such as depression even if there's no signs of suicidal thoughts (the meds the docs give her will fix that though) or a child with a felony conviction for possessing a little too much drugs could have your entire household disarmed.

They had better luck at the ranch house in nearby Upland, where they seized the three guns from the home of a woman who’d been hospitalized for mental illness. One gun was registered to her, two to her husband. “The prohibited person can’t have access to a firearm,” regardless of who the registered owner is, says Michelle Gregory, a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office.

Right now, they're only arresting felons found in possession of firearms. It helps them to do their job more peaceably. With a little more firepower and the backing of Federal laws, this all might change though.

Although violating gun ownership laws is a felony, the agents don’t usually arrest people whose weapons they confiscate unless they’re convicted felons, who are prohibited from buying, receiving, owning, or possessing a firearm, Gregory says. The program has met little resistance from gun groups, which have pressed state and federal lawmakers to enforce existing gun control laws instead of writing new ones.

Yahoo Finance

Gotta love that last part about how gun rights groups aren't even standing up for these folk's rights. They're even cheering on these efforts to disarm the public.

Who wants to bet that the families who have their guns seized by these jackbooted thugs never see a dime in compensation for their loss?

The best guns are those that are not tied to ones name or address. Just like in New Orleans during Katrina LEO's will come for legal gun owners guns. Many owners had their only means of defense taken. So IMHO the only people that will be able to defend themselves are those that do not own a "legal" weapon.

Sad to think that the only way to defend oneself in a situation like Katrina is to have broken the law and purchased "street" weapon. Personally I would rather deal with a gun charge and be alive than be a victim to some hood rat.

Don't you love how they create a near police state to catch them and run them INTO the system but then the same state runs them back OUT the back door and freedom again for over-crowding, plea deals and general revolving door prison policy? California mastered the forked tongue and double talk far above the average way back when I still lived there. They've taken it to a full blown art now, IMO.

Here in the great State of Hellinois, if someone in your household gets a DUI(or other offenses) you are not allowed to have alcohol or weapons in the home.

I had to toss my little brother out of my house when he got a DUI. I'm not surrendering any guns and I most certainly wont be ridding the house of my Budweiser. Sorry Bro.

Ya know, reading this reminded me of the whole Charlie Sheen implosion of a couple of years ago. They raided his house because it was "reported" that he had guns. The whole thing got a lot of publicity. Pretty sure all they found was an antique rifle.

I remember thinking at that time, "how is this right?" They can do a raid because it is "reported" that you have a weapon.

then I remembered...it's california.

I will not register my weapons I will just say there undocumented not illegal.

I find it interesting that they are apparently performing this task without a warrant.

It should be easy enough to get one with a record of the conviction and the record of ownership so why are they going about it all shady like?

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
I find it interesting that they are apparently performing this task without a warrant.

It should be easy enough to get one with a record of the conviction and the record of ownership so why are they going about it all shady like?

The police admit in the linked article that they wont get a search warrant based on the available information.

So basically, they dont have a leg to stand on, just tell them to take a piss and close the door, they are powerless to do anything but leave.

In the article they even admit as much, and also admit to having to leace empty handed from a womans home that wouldnt answer the door. As they dont have a warrant, so they dont have any legal right to search or take weapons, they must be given over willingly.

Originally posted by Mamatus
The best guns are those that are not tied to ones name or address. Just like in New Orleans during Katrina LEO's will come for legal gun owners guns. Many owners had their only means of defense taken. So IMHO the only people that will be able to defend themselves are those that do not own a "legal" weapon.

Exactly. This is why they want to have the "universal background check" law--to get as many of hte guns out there that are not on paper, on paper. Registration always precedes confiscation.

reply to post by FortAnthem
I'd love to know what "talking their way into the residence" when they don't have a search warrant entails! I know from personal experience that in some cases cops will lie and say the home owner gave them permission to come in and search the house when what really occurred was when the home owner answered the door the cops pushed their way in and searched regardless of the protests of the home owner and their demand to see a warrant. The hubby got arrested by such methods, and at trial the cops lied and said that I (who had answered the door at 2am, and they didn't identify as police but said "It's your Dad") gave them permission to come in and search my house! Liars!

reply to post by FortAnthem


What do you do? You call in Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Nobody screws with Dog.

And the guns real criminals have aren't registered.

Nobody but their victims know they have a gun.

reply to post by littled16


I'm sure they don't let the people know they have no right to enter their homes and strongly imply that things will go better for the people if they cooperate.

Then, if the homeowner still doesn't cooperate, they pull the "we'll press charges if you make us go and get a search warrant" bit. Like it says in the story, they usually don't charge anyone but felons but, they have the option of bringing felony charges for anyone who has an unauthorized weapon.

Dirty jackbooted thugs is what they are. Funny how the article tries to create sympathy for what a hard job they have and all the verbal abuse they have to endure.

[sarcasm] I'm crying a river for them and all that they have to go through in their VERY IMPORTANT job trying to keep us serfs safe from ourselves. [/sarcasm]

Any police officer shows up to my door without a warrant will be told, politely, to "kick rocks". Seriously, have we already lost the Bill of Rights? Warrantless search and seizure is illegal and unconstitutional. So, if a policeman shows up at your door without a warrant, kindly direct him to this passage:

AMENDMENT IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Says it all right there, doesn't it?

they are also years behind in confiscating these guns. so apparently, some of these ppl arent so dangerous with a gun, so why go after them?

also this law makes alot of people afraid to seek mental health help, or even counseling for problems.

in california if you were EVER in a mental health facility, you are banned from gun ownership.

this is the program they want to take nationally!

BEWARE people!

I am wondering why they have the resources to go to confiscate guns but whenever the deporting illegal aliens question comes up it's always "it would be impossible to find them".

I'm in Kalifornia, and a gun owner. The important thing is to just not register your guns when you move here....it's a misdemeanor and I'm sure they'd take it from you but it's a hell of a lot better to be judged by 12 than carried by six.

Originally posted by wills120
I'm in Kalifornia, and a gun owner. The important thing is to just not register your guns when you move here....it's a misdemeanor and I'm sure they'd take it from you but it's a hell of a lot better to be judged by 12 than carried by six.

Kalifornia is a joke. The last assault weapon ban they had less than 5% compliance. The state is bankrupt, and can't pay it's bills, then they elect the guy that did it to them again!