CODEPOLA rejects new restrictions on the sale of ammunition and asks the Police to use existing tools

By THE STAR STAFF

The president of the Corporation for the Defense of the Licensed Gun Owner of Puerto Rico (CODEPOLA), Ariel Torres Meléndez, rejected the Police Bureau’s intention to promote amendments to the Weapons Law to establish additional controls on the sale of ammunition.

Torres Meléndez stated that the Police already have information on legal transactions of weapons and ammunition through the REAL System, where data such as the identity of the buyer, license number, date, quantity acquired and establishment where the sale was made are recorded.

The leader of CODEPOLA objects to gun dealers being responsible for identifying suspicious buyers or referring transactions to the police. He explained that their obligation is to register each sale in the system, while it is the agency’s responsibility to analyze the information and determine if there is grounds for an investigation.

Torres Meléndez pointed out that acquiring a considerable amount of ammunition does not, in itself, constitute evidence of criminal activity, since sport shooters, instructors, competitors and other citizens can make larger purchases for legitimate reasons.

CODEPOLA demanded that the Police report how many transactions registered in the REAL System have been linked to crimes, how many purchases considered atypical were investigated and what actions were taken.

“Before requesting new restrictions, the Police must explain how they are using the tools they already have,” Torres Meléndez said.

The organization stated that security efforts should focus on illegal trafficking, smuggling, and criminal organizations, rather than imposing greater controls on law-abiding citizens and merchants.

Torres Meléndez also questioned the police’s administrative management and mentioned a pending appeal before the Court of Appeals related to the revocation of a firearms license. According to the allegations in the case, the agency failed to comply with a court order in a timely manner.

CODEPOLA reiterated that it will evaluate any legislative proposal related to weapons and ammunition and will demand that new measures be based on evidence, respect due process, and do not impose arbitrary restrictions on licensed citizens.