www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Not sure how accurate this Sala Primera court opinion was interpreted by today's AM Costa Rica, but it caught my attention.

High court say police should only carry light firearms
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Sala Primera ruled that police officers should not carry powerful firearms unless officers are members of special units that take on organized crime.

In one of its more controversial rulings, the high criminal court threw out a directive by the executive branch allowing police officers to carry weapons other than .22-caliber, .38-caliber and 9-mm.

The Poder Judicial issued a clarification Wednesday over the decision which took most police officers by surprise.

The Poder Judicial said that the Sala Primera recognizes that the law gives the executive branch the power to regulate the use of weapons. But the court said the existing decree allows police to indiscriminately carry heavier weapons on a daily basis.

This is a violation of the law because police carrying such weapons exposes citizens to risk, said the summary by the Poder Judicial.

The court ordered the executive branch to issue within a month a more reasonable decree outlining the use of weapons.

The court says it did not prohibit the use of weapons but only rejected a decree that provides for the use of heavy weaponry.

Criminals frequently have access to AK-47 automatic rifles, Uzi submachine guns and even heavier armament. Fuerza Pública officers sometimes carry rifles when guarding prisoners or large stashes of drugs.

The court ruling would seem to apply to all police agencies, including the Judicial Investigating Organization and the anti-drug police.

Guess that knocks out the LEOs from having this weapon: http://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/rifles/sub-2000/ or these: http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-huge-pers ... rearms.php << Interesting informed commentary
but maybe not this: http://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/pistols/plr-16/

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

"This is a violation of the law because police carrying such weapons exposes citizens to risk".

That was the quote from the court (reportedly)that really caught my attention.

I Googled "Police weapons training in Costa Rica" and came up empty. I don't know what that training is but even medium caliber weapons poorly used can do serious damage to those not involved ("collateral damage" is the horrid phrase). So Brother DGD points out the relevant portion of this ruling...Those judges and their families presumably live in SJO...
There is this thoughtful paper that talks in part of the CR police and policing:
http://www.coha.org/costa-rica-an-army- ... ne-region/
Hell, I'm even throwing in, gratis, an article on how to do that weapons training cost effectively:
http://www.policemag.com/channel/weapon ... -ammo.aspx << Full-service Board here, right?

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Latin America firearms laws bewilder me.
I have a gun license in Colombia.
I am restricted to a max caliber of 380 (9mm kurz or short).
A standard 9mm is restricted for police use.
The military has no restrictions that I can determine.

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It is cheaper to pay now and get it over with.
It is also easier to get them to leave.

Jazz, where's the link to Dinah Washington's "What a difference a day makes"?

Today's Inside Costa Rica: Police CAN Carry Heavy Duty Weapons

"Following a controversial decision, the Sala I clarified that they did not ban police from use of high-powered weapons in their fight against criminals. The magistrates said the reference to the ban in their decision was to carrying the heavy duty arms in "regular" or "routine" patrols. (No chance they would need them then I guess)

The Sala Primera (High Court) made the clarifications at the request of the Poder Ejecutivo (the judicial branch) to ensure the public safety, as mandated by the country's Constitution. The judges of the high Court said the limitation is not to endanger the public with heavy weapons in daily police activities.

The judges made it clear that the limitation does not apply to the special units of the police force, such as the SIP, the GAO and others, which are tactical response units, for example."

As I said to another Brother today--you ask, I respond (excellent choice, BTW):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmBxVfQTuvI << Surprise, surprise--it was written by a Mexicana and later translated. Beautiful piece (I'll spare you the Wiki link on that).

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

I have found Greengo's epistles thoughtful and amusing but this is a bit over the top. Latin Americans in particular have a different POV about the exercise of American military might and actions.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Maybe Greengo's not Latin American and expressing his POV, you should stick to irrelevant links or digging up 10 year old jokes.

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Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

Sure thing--your charm offensive worked. I'll also stay out of the Executive Sandbox aka this:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=41531
Also, tell your buddy that I understand New Hampshire has some of the loosest gun-owning laws in the US so I'll stay out of his way too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_i ... _(by_state)
Whoops, there I go being all screamingly relevant again. Sometimes it just overwhelms me...

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Bro JB; Maybe you need to come down to Medellin and unwind.
I'll be your wingman for a day.
You are spending too much time on the computer, it seems.

_________________
It is cheaper to pay now and get it over with.
It is also easier to get them to leave.

That is very sad. .380 is the "Dane Cook" of defensive calibers. Can you get licensed for 7.62x25 Tokarev?

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"I'm not one those pathetic lietuenant colonels working a silly civilian job, working out two hours a day trying to reclaim a body they lost 20 years ago and four hours a night completing War College by correspondence in a sad attempt at colonel. Tyler Durden told us [i]'Self improvement is masturbation[/i].' My mid-life crisis is going to involve a new sports car, or the zoftig redhead with daddy issues in accounting, or better yet, racking up frequent flyer miles going to Pattaya."

JTF-Bravo.....say it so....that you're also hatin' on the makarov?

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"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16

For what these pistols are and how they compare, see this: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155933

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED