X

St. Lawrence County sheriff and district attorney say they must enforce SAFE Act

Posted 2/5/20

BY ANDY GARDNER North Country This Week CANTON -- St. Lawrence County’s sheriff and district attorney say that their jobs bind them to enforce the controversial NY SAFE Act, but there have been few …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

St. Lawrence County sheriff and district attorney say they must enforce SAFE Act

Posted

BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

CANTON -- St. Lawrence County’s sheriff and district attorney say that their jobs bind them to enforce the controversial NY SAFE Act, but there have been few or any arrests and prosecutions under it within the county.

The two spoke at the Monday, Feb. 3 St. Lawrence County legislature meeting at the request of Legislator Kevin Acres, R-Madrid. Earlier in the meeting, about 100 people showed up to urge the board to pass a resolution declaring St. Lawrence County a “Second Amendment sanctuary.” They want a resolution saying the county will not enforce gun control laws that firearms advocates say are unconstitutional.

Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe, who was elected in an unopposed race last year to replace former Sheriff Kevin Wells, said he can’t take his personal opinions into consideration and cherry-pick the laws he wants to enforce.

"The SAFE Act is the law. Whether you like it or not, it's the law,” Bigwarfe said. "All those court cases that were brought against the SAFE Act on appeals were struck down. So the law stands.

"I can't pick and choose what laws I want to enforce. I don't have that power … If the sheriff doesn't uphold the law, the chief enforcement officer and only elected official of law enforcement, if he doesn't start following the laws, we're in big trouble as far as I'm concerned,” the sheriff said.

A longtime member of the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office prior to his election, he said they have made no SAFE Act arrests.

"I can tell you as sheriff … there have been no arrests due to the SAFE Act from our department ... not a one," he said. “The only time we confiscate things is if we have a mental health issue with somebody," or a court order. "Those are the reason the Sheriff's Office takes those weapons."

District Attorney Gary Pasqua agreed.

"If you look at how many arrests have been made under certain provisions of the SAFE Act and how many prosecutions under that ... I think you'll see there are not many, if any," the DA said.

He said he doesn’t believe in prosecuting every case the same way.

"I look at it on a case-by-case basis, based on what the person allegedly did, the person's history and the circumstances around it,” he said. "My job is not to make criminals out of law-abiding citizens because an edict came down. My job is to enforce the laws of New York state.

"I think the people of St. Lawrence County tasked me with that duty,” Pasqua said. “I would expect at the end of my four-year term if they're not happy about how I did that, they will certainly let me know."