THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 2, 1995 TAG: 9502280077
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
Norfolk's new $24 fee on handgun purchases - as well as the lengthy background checks on buyers the fee paid for - is history.
The City Council, at its Feb. 22 meeting, buckled under pressure by firearm merchants and rescinded the fee and the related requirement that the fingerprints of all handgun buyers be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a computerized background check.
The state now performs a background check. But because it searches only by name, this check does not catch criminals who use aliases or other false identities. Police Chief Melvin High had recommended that the more stringent background check be put into place. The $24 fee was the cost the FBI charged for performing the background check.
The council put into effect this new requirement with little discussion a few months ago. But the council came under heavy pressure to rescind the law after it learned that Chesapeake was the only other city that has such a requirement. Gun dealers appeared at council meetings and said they would lose business to Virginia Beach and other surrounding cities.
With the elimination of the $24 fee and related background check, the police now will perform such a thorough background check only on people whose names have been tagged through the state background check as having previous criminal records. Any charge by the FBI would be paid for by the city. Chief High said there was some chance the FBI would waive or reduce the $24 fee. by CNB