Senate approves firearm theft bill

OKLAHOMA CITY – The full Senate has given approval to a measure cracking down on firearm thefts.  Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, is the author of Senate Bill 859, which was approved on Tuesday.

Weaver is a former head of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDD) and is a commissioner with a national law enforcement organization aimed at improving public safety, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA).  He said he’s particularly concerned about the theft of firearms from vehicles.

“I can tell you from a career in law enforcement, the chance of a stolen gun getting used in a potentially violent crime is a very real concern, and something we hope to curtail by strengthening our current statutes,” Weaver said. “I fully support the Second Amendment right of law-abiding citizens to own and carry firearms, but we are talking about criminals and the high chance of these guns being used in other crimes.  That’s what we’re trying to address with this bill.”

SB 859 would increase the maximum prison term from two years to five years, and increase the maximum fine from $1,000 to $2,500 for the theft of a firearm.

Weaver’s legislation next goes to the House of Representatives.

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For more information, contact:

Sen. Darrell Weaver at 405-521-5569 or email Darrell.Weaver@oksenate.gov.