IACP Wants New Approach To Reduce Gun Violence

September 28, 2007

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the world's largest association of law enforcement executives, recently called on Congress and the Administration, as well as state and local governments, to support strong and effective gun violence prevention policies, and to provide law enforcement with the resources necessary to reverse a two-year rise in violent crime.

The IACP unveiled a set of nearly 40 recommendations for policymakers, police, and community and philanthropic leaders, which are the result of the "Great Lakes Summit on Gun Violence." The summit, held in Chicago earlier this year, was a groundbreaking collaboration of 200 law enforcement and elected officials and public health experts to develop a cooperative approach to reduce gun related crime and violence.

"It is simply unacceptable that in communities across America more than 80 people a day are dying from gun violence," said Russell Laine, Chief of the Algonquin, Illinois Police Department and IACP 2nd Vice President. "Every day, dedicated police officers put their lives on the line to protect their communities from criminals who often outgun them, but we can't do it alone. This is why we are calling on policymakers and the public to help us combat gun violence."

The recommendations in the report -- Taking a Stand: Reducing Gun Violence in Our Communities -- are divided into three areas: keeping communities safe, preventing and solving gun crime, and keeping police officers safe.

  • Specific proposals include:
  • Requiring that all gun sales take place through federally licensed dealers.
  • Enhancing the ability of law enforcement to use federal gun trace data to deter illegal trafficking.
  • Removing all firearms and ammunition from batterers when law enforcement responds to domestic violence calls.
  • Restoring funding to the COPS program, an extremely effective crime fighting program that has broad support within the law enforcement community; and,
  • Mandating safe storage of firearms by private citizens.

According to Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, lethal violence -- the majority of which is firearm related -- across the nation increased in both 2005 and 2006.


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