Only FFLs at Austin Shows?!?

[kurt]

From the Austin Paper:

APD outlines its role in targeting illegal activity at gun shows

Tuesday, January 19, 2010, 04:26 PM
FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Federal Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement (ICE) agents worked cooperatively with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agents last year in a long-term operation targeting illegal gun trafficking that was stemming from local gun shows. Austin Police Department Firearm Review Unit detectives assisted in the Austin portion of the operation. They observed and participated in multiple arrests of prohibited persons (primarily convicted felons and illegal immigrants) that obtained firearms illegally at a local gun show.
Federal convictions were obtained in a majority of the cases.
Virtually all of these sales to prohibited persons were made by unlicensed dealers or private citizens, both inside the gun show and in the parking lot of the gun show. While the sale of firearms between private citizens is not illegal, the anonymity of these sales in or around the event created an easy avenue for illegal immigrants or convicted felons to acquire firearms. Because of this recurring activity at a single location, the Firearm Review Unit referred the case over to the APD Nuisance Abatement Unit.
Due to the history of criminal activity at the gun show, the Nuisance Abatement Unit scheduled a meeting between the property lessee (HEB Grocery), the building sub-lessee (Andrew Perkel a.k.a Austin Market Place), the event promoter (Darwin Boedecker-Texas Gun Shows) and ATF. During this meeting, APD along with ATF offered to all parties, recommendations to curb the illegal activity that had been documented in the past. At the conclusion of the meeting the lessee agreed that the recommendations should be followed and instructed their sub-lessee to follow the recommendations. The sub-lessee then informed the event promoter to implement the recommendations at the next show. The recommendations that the lessee directed the sub-lessee and the event promoter to follow were:

1. Only licensed gun dealers are allowed to sell firearms at the gun shows
2. The promoter will provide on-site security to prevent parking lot gun sales
3. The promoter will define a process for people other than licensed dealers that show up with a gun that they want to sell

There was an understanding that the January 16-17, 2010 gun show would follow these recommendations.

 

[Renegade]

Due to the history of criminal activity at the gun show,

Love to see the UCR reports documenting this illegal activity.

 

[Major Woody]

Avecedo sold out, the San Antonio police chief did not. Due to pre-emptive laws, and state statues they have clearly broken Federal laws under Title 42. You have to understand that Avecedo came from Commiefornia, they need to be arrested and procecuted. I have a feeling this will be the last term for the APD police chief. This is the Feds and APD's fault for making it a sanctuary city and not enforcing the laws concerning illegals. They help them vote in Socialism, and destroy our jobs and disarm us taking us into Communism. If we don't stand up to this racketteering, they will be coming to your doors next to disarm you.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Everyone interested in attending a meeting in Austin tomorrow to look into possible action against this, get in here:

http://www.texasguntalk.com/forums/austin/12901-strategic-meeting-re-apd-gun-show-issue.html

 

[Dallas239]

From the Austin Paper:

"...unlicensed dealers..."

There's no such thing as an unlicensed dealer in the law. An unlicensed dealer of guns is a criminal.

It appears that the only authority behind this is the show promoter, so if you break the rules, you may be charged with trespassing. Seems to me like they're trying to prevent felonies by threatening the felons with misdemeanors.

 

[erinatx]

i was very active with the Saxet show and this is complete BS. the show shared half the building with a flea market that Hispanics were terrified to walk in front of, let alone come in. Most were very uncomfortable.

Tennessee has already introduced a bill conveniently right after this happened in Austin last weekend.

http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billinfo/BillSummaryArchive.aspx?BillNumber=HB2422&ga=106

 

[Texas1911]

Wait ... how exactly did they arrest individuals that were selling the guns?

The only way you could arrest someone is if they had prior knowledge of the person being ineligible. This would mean that the agents would have to pose as felons or illegals, or record via surveillance.

Something sounds REALLY, REALLY fishy here.

 

[erinatx]

what amazes me is the fact that Austin is HUGE sanctuary city but that won't be addressed. either way, they now have a big fight on their hands.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Thanks for joining us Erin.

 

[erinatx]

i found the link on your profile on meetup. glad i found it!

 

[ShotgunLobotomy]

So on the news they also reported a sting here at the gun show but Im only able to find articles talking about a sting at previous gun shows.
Austin Local News - North Austin gun show target of illegal gun trafficking sting
It may be that this was a one time shutdown of private sales to give undercover agents more foot traffic. Still is BS if you ask me they ought to ban the BATF from Texas given their outstanding track record in this state.COUGH Waco COUGH

 

[ShotgunLobotomy]

Hearing Protection ATF style

 

[Oldfalguy]

by NOELLE NEWTON / KVUE News
Posted on January 19, 2010 at 5:47 PM
Updated today at 6:14 PM
******
A gun show owner says the Austin Police Department violated his constitutional rights. Police are now setting the record straight.
The controversy centers around a yellow flyer passed out at the Texas Gun Show in North Austin last weekend. It reads:
"Selling of Firearms"
At the direction of the Austin Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, anyone selling a firearm at this show location will be asked to comply with the following:

1. Any person selling a personal firearm must go through a licensed FFL dealer in the show to transfer the firearm to the new owner.
2. Selling of firearms in the parking lot will not be permitted.
Thank you for your cooperation!
APD Detective T.J. Vineyard told reporters in a news conference Tuesday, the recommendations were the result of a year long police investigation of the gun shows.
"Every time we were there we observed transactions that were either questionable or illegal so our effort was to find ways to address that,” he said.
Vineyard said the goal of the operation was to stop illegal gun trafficking to Mexico.
"Some people would go to vendors to purchase a firearm, and when they were asked to fill out paperwork to do a background check they would bypass that vendor and go to another vendor that wouldn't require a background check,” Vineyard said.
HEB rents out the building where the gun shows are held. Company representatives asked for help to stop the problem. APD and members of the ATF recommended show owner Darwin Boedeker stop allowing private citizens to sell guns without the assistance of a licensed dealer. Thus, forcing every buyer to have a background check.
"Most of the people who are trying to achieve legitimate sales of firearms want that protection, They want to know the gun their buying isn't stolen or the person they sold a gun to isn't a felon or on parole for murder,” Vineyard said.
Boedeker says the request is a violation of our constitutional right to freely sell guns.
"What they want to do is shut the gun shows down. This just doesn't affect me. This affects you, this affects the person down the road, every law abiding citizen,” he said.
Boedeker went along with the recommendations for last weekend's show, but still APD made an arrest. He says HEB has since told him he can no longer hold shows here. Boedeker is convinced police wanted to HEB to make that call.
"At least they knew where to go to arrest them. If there wasn't a gun show, they'd be down in a back alley. Felons are always going to be able to get a gun. That's why they're felons. They don't follow the law,” Boedeker said.
"We didn't mandate anything, we didn't direct anyone to do anything. We made suggestions to them and how to handle that with their tenants or sub-leasers is a civil matter among them," Vineyard said.
Police say during the past year they have arrested eight people on illegal weapons charges. Texas Gun Shows has been using the North Austin Event Center since November. Before that the Saxet Gun Show was there. Boedeker says he knows of only one arrest since he's used the property. He says he's trying to find a new location for his show.

 

[Oldfalguy]

Guys,
Acevedo will still be there and there isn't going to being any lawsuits against the powers that be-NADA
The show sponsor got pressured by HEB to play ball with the POPO- thats it-
All the sponsor can do/has to do is find another venue since this requirement, as correctly pointed out, is not the law of the land-
I for one, as are members here, all for keeping felons, nuts and illegals from getting a firearm but this isn't the right way to do it-
Truth be told I would just as soon not be in the same building with some of the trash roaming the aisles.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Yeah, and whatever rep from HEB that was involved was likely pressured too. When the BATF threatens, that's not something to be taken lightly. In just two incidences in 2 years they massacred 84 people, including women and children. That's like having Charles Manson "politely" recommend you do something, it's not really a request.

Actually, keeping felons and shady people away is the responsibility of dealers. Dealers reserve the right to refuse sale. Problem is some of them get caught up with greed, as opposed to telling suspicious people to go away.

 

[jacky1955]

Thee gun show has been stopped by the local police. They are trying to set gun registration as manditory just as Hitler did. Under the color of law --not actual law --they have forced HEB to take the lease from the show director because he was against this.The police are trying to stop us from keeping and bearing arms against a corrupt government. Infowars.com is informing the innernet about this action by the police of Austin Texas.You can listen and make your own decision as to what is really going on.

 

[jacky1955]

It is still an effort to set a presadent to stop gun sales with out registration which will lead to confiscation.

 

[mrseatle]

I'm sure all the CHL holders won't mind this new "infringement". They already gave up their rights, in favor of priviledge. So they don't have to submit to a nics check anyway...

 

[Texas42]

. . . . . . .

Trying to make new friends, I see.

 

[texagun]

From the Austin Statesman:

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/gun-show-owner-police-at-odds-over-recommendations-186641.html