Ranked in order of subjective prevalence, the evaluative criteria Liberty/Freedom is the most important. Liberty/Freedom is the extent to which public policy extends or restricts privacy and individual rights and choices. The SAFE Act expanded the categories of persons prohibited from possessing a firearm on grounds of mental illness and possession of ammunition. This action has gone beyond federal law and sets a precedence for not only second amendment issues but 1st amendments contradictions as well.
While federal law disqualifies persons, who have been civilly committed to a mental institution or adjudicated as “mental defective,” the SAFE Act also disarms, for five years, persons who have been reported by a medical professional as “likely …show more content…
The new policy publicizes gun permit holder contact information, with an option of confidentiality. Overwhelmingly, most residents filed weapon registrations with the option of maintaining anonymity. However, the state has continued to release individual names and addresses to newspapers. This situation has caused legal action from first amendment advocates, and multiple death threats to newspaper reporters.
Administrative feasibility is the second most important evaluative criteria. Due to information technological system integration capabilities by the local to state levels of health services and law enforcement agencies. As well as costs associated with increased mental health care providers and police at the local and county levels.
Determining which citizens potentially pose a danger to themselves or others will require transmission of the personal health information and criminal acts on an increased basis. For example, a person whom is charged with a simple charge such as disturbing the peace would require an evaluation by a mental health professional and his/her diagnosis would need to be part of the final sentencing or the dropping of charges. A county court can hear cases multiple times a week and some persons awaiting arraignment may only spend a few hours in jail before seeing a judge. Mental health professionals must be on hand to determine if there is a risk associated with almost every detained person to provide clarity on the …show more content…
Increasing the amount of mental health professionals can have a huge impact on a budget. Most budgeting is based solely off of the year prior and projections for the upcoming year. States will traditionally supplement counties, however, the money is usually temporary and only buys the locals time to prepare for the monetary cost.
The cost associated with mental health IT, increase in facilities needed, full time personnel, and equitable measures across the state make administrative feasibility difficult. Some the poorest cities will eventually suffer the most. The costs of such programs are easily in the millions of dollars and may force counties to pick and choose between road maintenance and the law. New York State has already had unofficial lines drawn determining what is socially acceptable. In fact, there has been talk for a long time to make New York City its own state because of the disdain of NYC policy choices by upstate New York. The upstate New Yorkers overwhelmingly disagree with gun control compared to NYC residents. The NY SAFE Act does not fall in line with Upstate resident’s traditions and beliefs. The gun control support is not a republican and democrat divide, as many democrats are not supporters of gun