The Point: 'Ghost Guns' haunt some more than others
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder holds up two ghost handguns at a news conference at police headquarters in Mineola on Monday. Credit: James Carbone
When Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder held a news conference Monday to highlight county gun confiscations, part of Blakeman’s purpose seemed to be setting up his Tuesday visit to Albany. The Republican headed north to demand repeal of the bail reform law.
But "ghost guns," untraceable weapons built from kits and sold without background checks or serial numbers, also played a role.
Nassau seized 117 illegal weapons last year, up from 91 one year earlier. Eight of the firearms were stolen and 12 were taken from people who had been released without bail after their arrest.
And 10 of the weapons seized were "ghost guns," which are of particular interest right now.
In late October, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law prohibitions sponsored by Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-Great Neck) and Assemb. Chuck Lavine (D-Glen Cove) on the sale of ghost guns and the sale of any gun by New York gunsmiths that they’ve manufactured or assembled without a serial number.
But there is no such federal prohibition, nor is there one in most states. As long as ghost guns are legal anywhere, gun control advocates argue, they’ll be here. And the weapons Hochul banned could become a significant issue in her reelection bid.
Rep. Lee Zeldin, who opposes gun restrictions and is running for New York governor, disagrees with the state law, and any federal version. Zeldin wrote to The Point: "The bills signed into law by Governor Hochul last year provide increased scrutiny on firearms that are largely made by hobbyists and will do little to address violent crime in New York."
Considering they had their weapons confiscated by Nassau officers and displayed to augment an argument against bail reform, these 10 ghost gun owners might not be described well by Zeldin’s "hobbyist" argument.
Lane Filler is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
