Statement By Hubert Williams President Of The Police Foundation And Chair Of The National Law Enforcement Partnership To Prevent Gun Violence

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Our nation is facing an epidemic of senseless gun violence, and the time to address it is now. 

Last year, gunfire was the leading cause of death for police officers killed in the line of duty, surpassing motor vehicles for the first time in 14 years, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Those charged with our safekeeping are increasingly becoming the target of violence, as we saw today in Louisiana with two officers wounded and two killed as they were reportedly ambushed by a gunman brandishing an assault rifle, and as we saw yesterday with the shooting of a security guard in Washington, DC, who heroically fended off a disturbed gunman reportedly equipped with large capacity ammunition magazines.  

We continue to mourn the recent losses in Aurora, Colorado, and in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where we also saw the heroic actions of law enforcement officers who put their own lives on the line in service to others. These recent tragedies are all too demonstrative of what we are seeing across the nation—criminals and deranged individuals able to access firearms and high capacity ammunition magazines with all too great ease.

The National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence, an alliance of nine major national police leadership organizations, has united together to combat this crisis that is plaguing communities across America.  We are calling on our elected leaders and candidates to support background checks for all firearm purchasers and to restore the 1994 law that limited ammunition magazines to ten rounds.  

Our political leaders can no longer turn a deaf ear to this deadly problem.  Our elected officials and candidates seeking office must demonstrate the leadership we need to keep Americans safe.  We continue to see acts of courage by those men and women in blue who put their lives on the line to protect others.  It is urgent that our elected leaders and those seeking public office also step up and support law enforcement and the stronger gun laws we know will save lives and prevent further tragedies. 

The National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence consists of:

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
International Association of Chiefs of Police
Major Cities Chiefs Association
National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
Police Executive Research Forum
Police Foundation

SOURCE Police Foundation