Crime - Faeser: Making progress with gun law reform
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser wants to push ahead with her proposed tightening of gun laws in the coming year. It is particularly important to her "that we make progress with the gun law reform in the new year", the SPD politician told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers. "It would be irresponsible to only have this discussion again after another terrible act of violence."
Faeser had already presented an internal draft for a tightening of gun laws last January following the New Year's Eve riots and the uncovered plans for a coup by a group of Reich citizens. At the time, the Greens generally welcomed the plan, which had not yet been submitted to the cabinet for approval.
The FDP, the third coalition party, positioned itself against it. Its deputy parliamentary group leader Konstantin Kuhle argued in September that before the laws were changed again, the weapons authorities in the federal states should first be better equipped to apply the current law.
Stricter rules for alarm weapons
The minister has now reiterated her proposals. In response to the events of last New Year's Eve, the draft bill also provides for stricter rules for alarm weapons. "We have already seen how police officers and emergency services have been threatened with alarm weapons," Faeser warned. "We have a duty to protect our emergency services, who stick their necks out on the street for all of us and save the lives of people in need."
"For the same reason, last January I proposed punishing offenders with at least one year in prison if they lure police officers and rescue workers into dangerous ambushes," said the Minister. "Here, too, we must send out a clear signal to stop."
With regard to gun laws, Faeser also referred to the killing spree that claimed seven lives in a Jehovah's Witness congregation in Hamburg in March. We know from such serious acts of violence "that we need stricter and more stringent checks", she said. "We must ensure that gun permits are not issued in the first place or are withdrawn in good time if there are signs that the person in question is dangerous."
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Source: www.stern.de
