N.Y. Man Arrested For Carrying Pistol With 9 Bullets, New Law Outlaws More Than 7

he New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013, commonly known as the NY SAFE Act is gun control legislation that was passed January 15, 2013 and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on that same day. The act contains a number of firearm regulations and provisions. One regulation in particular makes carrying more than seven bullets illegal.

Gregory D Dean Jr, a 31-year-old resident of Hopewell Junction was driving with his legally registered pistol which carried nine bullets when he was pulled over because his license-plate lamp was not working. Because the SAFE Act only allows seven, Gregory was charged with unlawful possession of certain ammunition feeding devices, third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and other vehicle infractions.

Republican Senator Greg Ball released a statement saying,

“This is a very sad day for all fair minded New Yorkers who believe in justice and value freedom. Here we see the full effect of our actions as the SAFE Act turns a law abiding citizen into a criminal. This didn’t save a life, this just destroyed one man’s life,” said Senator Greg Ball. “I continue to plead with this Governor to please allow the common sense changes to this bill, that are obviously necessary.”

New York State Troopers also released a statement expressing their concerns over this legislation:

“The NY SAFE Act has been a controversial and emotional topic since its passage in January of 2013. The NYS Troopers PBA, representing more than 6,000 active and retired members, has reserved public comment as we worked within the legislative process of NYS government with the hope of affecting changes to the law. Our membership holds widely shared concerns of this new law. Additionally, we believe that actual enforcement of these new regulations will significantly increase the hazards of an already dangerous job.

“Polls have shown that increased firearm regulations are not popular in the more rural and upstate regions of our state, which is where the majority of our members live and patrol. Additionally, some in mainstream media have already irresponsibly increased the anti-police rhetoric, which fosters additional resentment of law enforcement. Even some of our elected officials, like Senator Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Gabryszak, are calling for a probe of our members and their efforts to meet the standards of this new law.

“It is the responsibility of this union to defend the reputation and safety of our members. Potential legislative changes as well as pending court decisions may further alter the terms of the SAFE Act. The individual members of this union did not write the terms of the bill nor vote on its passage. We urge the citizens of New York State to remember that Troopers are simply tasked with the lawful mandate to enforce the laws of the State, regardless of their personal opinion of such laws.”