Chuck Canterbury:

Some of America’s mayors, led by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City and Thomas M. Menino of Boston, would like you to believe that their Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition is about fighting illegal firearms in their cities and across the country.

It’s not.

The principal goal of this coalition is the repeal of language that has repeatedly been passed into law for the past several years that prevents information on gun traces collected by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from being given to mayors pursuing civil litigation suits against firearms dealers and manufacturers. The mayors would have you believe that law enforcement supports giving them the information on gun traces because many of their employees — namely police chiefs, who often serve at the pleasure of the mayor — have publicly backed their coalition.

But the officers in the field who are actually working illegal gun cases know that releasing sensitive information about pending cases can jeopardize the integrity of an investigation or even place the lives of undercover officers in danger. That is why the Fraternal Order of Police has always supported language protecting firearms trace data, now known as the “Tiahrt amendment.” For the men and women in uniform who are fighting illegal guns, it is a matter of officer safety and good police work.

ATF itself has repeatedly gone to court to fight the release of its data, because the release can have a negative effect on its efforts to investigate illegal gun trafficking and threaten the safety of officers and witnesses.

It’s a shame the FOP brass supported the assault weapons ban. This almost makes me want to donate to them again. Almost.

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Posted in uncategorized on April 24th, 2007 by SayUncle | RSS 2.0 |