Protecting Public Safety by Cracking Down on Illegal Guns
- See undercover videos and learn about New York City's investigation of illegal sales at gun shows
- Read a Mayors Against Illegal Guns study which found that states with weak gun laws are significantly more likely to be the sources of guns recovered in crimes (PDF)
- View a poll by Republican pollster Frank Luntz which reveals that a vast majority of NRA gun owners agree with common-sense measures to curb illegal firearms trafficking
Over the past eight years, New York City has made dramatic gains in cutting down on crime. According to the FBI, New York City is the safest big city in America2 -- and over the last twenty years the number of murders in our city dropped from more than 2000 a year to less than 500. A key component of this progress has been an emphasis on cracking down on illegal guns at the local, state, and federal levels.
Mayor Bloomberg co-founded a national coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns to advocate for stronger laws and better enforcement to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Coalition members share the belief that respect for responsible gun ownership goes hand-in-hand with policies designed to keep guns out of the hands of those who would endanger public safety. The coalition's agenda has already attracted broad public support from the vast majority of Americans -- including National Rifle Association members.3
The coalition has grown to over 500 mayors from across the country, becoming a powerful new voice in the gun debate -- but more must be done. Currently, a deadly gap in our nation’s gun laws, known as the Gun Show Loophole, allows criminals to buy guns at gun shows without undergoing a background check. And legislation is pending in the New York State Legislature that would give police officers much-needed microstamping technology to connect shell casings at crime scenes with the perpetrators. Swift action on these priorities will help save lives, which is why New Yorkers must do all we can to help fix the broken links in America’s gun laws, advocate for better enforcement of the existing laws, and drive down criminal access to firearms.
