Fire arms, however, have different capacities. The main feature of guns that is significant to public safety, mainly in regard to mass execution, is ammunition capacity. Large capacity magazines are mostly known for holding more than ten rounds of ammunition that boosts their amount a person can fire devoid of the need to stop to reload. One of such large capacity weapon is an assault weapon, which is widely known as a civilian version of military technique weapon (Olusola, 2015). Besides, this type of weapon is capable of accepting large capacity magazines.

Large capacity magazines (LCM) and assault weapons are mostly used disproportionately in mass shootings. My proposal on regulation of acquisition of high capacity weapons by private citizens will reduce the number of casualties in public shootings. Admittedly, if penetrators of these mass shootings are not armed with LCMs, it is possible that fewer people would be killed and injured (Pederson, Hall, Foster, & Coates 2015). Therefore, effective enforcement of this proposal offers valuable mechanism for reducing the number of casualties in public shootings.

Implementation

Nowadays, easy access to large capacity magazines facilitates mass shootings, serious assault, and robbery. An examination of the situations of stranger mass shootings reveals a regular pattern of males of below twenty one years old acting with little or no planning in response to conflict. In this regard, routine activity theory suggests that crime happens when motivated offenders meet victims in vulnerable situations where there are no capable guardians. An offender must be armed with LCM and motivated as well (La Valle, 2013). Hence, reducing the availability of large capacity magazines by making their possession and acquisition more difficult directly hinders that ability.

Available evidence supports a deduction that prohibited people acquire LCMs through secondary markets or acquaintances. The traffickers or offenders have an endless need to restock their supply of guns from the primary market. Furthermore, unlicensed traffickers lack the capacity and motivation to scrutinize the eligibility of the buyer to lawfully acquire the firearm and basically sell to potential purchasers. Accordingly, proposed policy will focus on increasing risk of issuing LCD to private citizens, curbing the flow of these guns from legal or primary markets to unlicensed markets and eliminating or reducing the transfers in this secondary market (Webster Crifasi, &Vernick, 2014).

The regulation of the unlicensed market may face a strong opposition from the gun lobby and the conservatives. However, the proposal will use incarceration with the help of criminal justice system to respond to this crisis. Research suggests that about 20 percent routine offenders use guns. Moreover, the research supports the fact that incarcerated offenders commit LCM related crimes half as much as active offenders (Olusola, 2015). Hence, the proposal will give the police more authority to enforce the prohibition against those possessing LCM as a mechanism of targeting this group of offenders.

The policy will concentrate on maximizing incentives for those who comply and permit for adoptive alteration as operation gets experience. Additionally, it will influence Congress to revoke 18 U.S.C. 926(t)(2)(C), the current prohibition on keeping information on criminal documentation checks for gun sales and 18 U.S.C. 923,(g)(3)(B), the fire arm trace information restrictions with local and state police (Pederson, Hall, Foster, & Coates 2015). This will abolish the aging system of tracing fire arms that currently exists. It will likewise allow ATF to form a regulation that requires all the licensees to account for transfer of guns to other dealers. Consequently, this would eradicate the ability of licensed gun traders to order guns and sell them under the counter without record checks and records purchasers.

At the moment, inspectors at ATF have no ways of identifying whether the dealer has or has not recorded all firearms received. Furthermore, Congress will have to reinstate a felony for dealer records falsification to ensure that the Attorney General charges this offense (Olusola, 2015). Though a good number of licensed firearm dealers are in compliance with the law, identifying and indicting the dealers who are not law-abiding, will offer a major enforcement problem.

Evaluation

Currently, there is a restriction to those who intends to engage in gun business. There is a fee of $200 for application and $30 renewal fee per year. However, new policy will require ATF to determine if the applicant has the intention of engaging in the business. Hence, a person can be denied the business license or consequent license renewal if he fails to maintain regular business hours at a business premise (Pederson, Hall, Foster, & Coates 2015). If the license is not renewed and the dealer maintains the gun sales, thus, he is in a position of being charged for dealing in gun sales without license.

The rationale behind limiting gun dealer’s license to those who are certified and are keenly selling firearms is to decrease the number of dealers, thus reducing the trouble additional sellers of firearms place on enforcement and regulations. When the fees paid by the dealers offset the cost of enforcement, the problem will cease to be. Basically, the higher fee is expected to decrease the number of dealers who are not active while the active ones will compensate the cost supervising them with their own fees (Webster Crifasi, &Vernick, 2014). Compulsory registration will help in determining when a gun is transferred according to the proper procedure as well as providing details of the transfer. Underground law enforcement officers will be sent to dealers to check if they follow the lain down process of selling firearms. On the whole, this policy will ensure that LCMs are not sold to private citizens.

Modification

A part from ammunition capacity, there are other characteristics of guns that are related to public safety which include: the proneness of firearm to shoot unintentionally and in a concealed manner. These weapons are frequently used guns for robbery and mass shootings. Thus, the right to carry such guns should be modified to bar the individuals who are prohibited to own firearms from carrying concealed weapons in public. It may be implemented either through complicating the procedure or by criminalizing the carrying of concealed weapons in public. Furthermore, registrations and licensing of firearms will be made tougher and comprehensive. Thus, license will be the pre-clearance of the purchaser (La Valle, 2013).

Even the straw buyers who purchase guns for prohibited people using their identifications will have to obtain permit. Therefore, certain level of competency or training will be additionally required through competency tests conduction. The requirements are expected to deter some straw buyers who in current state of affairs can simply show a driver’s license or fill a simple form (Webster Crifasi, &Vernick, 2014). Unfortunately, this modification may face numerous political, legal and practical hurdles, for example, the current big size of firearm inventory in the country.

A strategy is in place to focus using the law on firearms to disarm high risk offenders. The group is reported to be routinely carrying and possessing firearms, these characters render this group exposed to use of firearm statutes and subject them to searches and paroles. Although police often target this group during illegal actions, they are on their highest alert just before, during and after committing the crime (Pederson, Hall, Foster, & Coates 2015). The offenders in this case will be apprehended in less risky time to reduce the number of casualties that are involved and increase discovery of firearms in vehicles or at homes of offenders. Although discovery of firearms at homes resulting from probation needs more investigation, suppression of evidence in such scenarios proves difficult.

References

La Valle J. (2013).Gun Control vs. Self-Protection: A Case against the Ideological Divide. Justice Policy Journal 10 (7): 1-26.

Olusola K. (2015).Gun Violence In United States Of America systematic Reviews And Meta- Analyses. Journal of Challenges, 2(1): 1-13

Pederson J., Hall T., Foster B., & Coates J. (2015). Gun Ownership and Attitudes toward Gun Control in Older Adults: Re-examining Self Interest Theory. American Journal of Social Science Research 1: 273-281.

Webster D., Crifasi C. &Vernick, S. (2014). Effects of the repeal of Missouri ’shandgun purchaser licensing law on homicides.J Urban Health, 91(2):293–302.