National Law Enforcement Leaders Applaud Reasonable And Concrete Steps To Strengthen Enforcement Of Existing Gun Laws And Enhance Public Safety

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National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence

Jan 05, 2016, 12:45 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leaders of the nation's major national law enforcement leadership organizations today participated in a meeting with President Obama where he announced and discussed a series of concrete actions designed to reduce gun violence, including measures to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are not legally entitled to possess them.

The National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence (the Partnership), comprised of national law enforcement leadership organizations, is pleased to see these vitally important actions move forward, which will enhance public safety and support law enforcement's efforts to reduce gun violence.

"These critical enforcement measures will strengthen existing background check processes, ensure that those who are engaged in the business of firearm sales follow the rules that gun dealers are required to follow, and provide law enforcement increased support by better resourcing the agencies charged with enforcing gun laws," said Chief Jim Johnson of the Baltimore County (MD) Police Department, who represents the Major Cities Chiefs Association and serves as the Chairperson for the Partnership.

Many of the steps announced by the President this week have long been a part of the Partnership's policy agenda and are consistent with its statement of principles. "These very reasonable enforcement actions will better protect all of our communities at a time of heightened concerns about gun violence and about terrorism, following the San Bernardino incident," said Johnson, who added, "It is vital that everyone understand how critical these measures are to the safety of our communities, and that none of these measures adversely impact lawful gun ownership."

"The President's actions to provide clarity on existing gun laws, prioritize enforcement of gun crimes, strengthen the NICS system by addressing the gap in mental health and other disqualifying records, and his allocation of greater resources to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for NICS system improvements and to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for additional agents and investigators will all make our communities safer," said Johnson.

The Partnership has long stressed the vital role that ATF plays in enforcing gun laws and reducing gun violence, and has urged that ATF be better resourced to carry out its vital mission as the only federal law enforcement entity with reducing gun violence as its primary mission. The Partnership has also been calling for the nomination of a permanent director to lead ATF.

The Partnership's policy priority has been the use of and requirement for background checks prior to all firearm sales. "Background checks have already blocked more than 2.4 million prohibited purchases since the Brady Law went into effect in 1994. "Today's actions will go a long way, but we will continue to press for universal background checks and are grateful for the President's support," said Johnson.

The National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence (www.lepartnership.org ) is an alliance of the nation's law enforcement leadership organizations concerned about the unacceptable level of gun violence in the United States. The Partnership is working to address the pervasive nature of gun violence and its horrific impact on community and officer safety.

The Partnership Includes:

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA)
Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA)
International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA)
National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE)
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
Police Foundation (PF)