Mayor opposed to three House firearms bills

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is applauding the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in their opposition to Congressional legislation limiting law enforcement access to gun trace data.
On May 18, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security approved three firearms-related bills.
1. HR 5005 would bar the National Trace Center at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from releasing data used to trace guns back to previous owners, sellers, and dealers.
2. HR 1384 would allow the interstate sale of handguns, authorize dealers to sell guns at out-of-state gun shows, and permit dealers to transfer firearms in person rather than requiring shipment.
3. HR 1415 would authorize new funding to make improvements to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), the database used to check potential firearms buyers for any criminal record.
Following the House’s passage of these bills, the IACP issued their capital report, in which they wrote, “This provision clearly has the potential to impede the investigation of criminal activities that crosses jurisdictional lines. Although gun dealers would still have to report multiple sales to ATF, the elimination of the local notice requirement will negatively affect the ability of the local law enforcement agency to ensure that they can enforce relevant state or local laws.”
“The IACP has consistently supported the use of tracing and trace data. Because this bill will hinder the ability of state and local law enforcement to conduct effective investigations, the IACP opposes the legislation.”
According to the report, a provision of HR 5005 would eliminate the requirement that multiple firearms sales report forms be filed with the local law enforcement agency where the transaction occurred.
Currently, gun dealers must notify local law enforcement when they sell multiple handguns to the same buyer in a five-day period.
“The International Association of Chiefs of Police recognizes that this bill would protect lawbreakers and gun traffickers and wreak tremendous damage on police departments across our country,” said Bloomberg. “I’m pleased that they’ve joined the growing chorus of voices in opposition to this God-awful legislation.”