Law Enforcement Calls for Renewal of Federal Assault Weapons Ban, Say Brady Campaign United with Million Mom March

4/16/2004

From: Peter Hamm of The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March, 202-289-5792 or 301-537-0726

PITTSBURGH, April 16 -- National law enforcement organizations, associations and unions are calling upon the gun lobby to stop their opposition to reauthorization of the federal ban on military style assault weapons. High-powered weapons like AK-47s and Uzis designed for combat will soon be available in communities nationwide. The national groups are calling on the NRA led gun lobby to support re-authorization of the current legislation.

The current federal Assault Weapons Ban is set to expire on Sept. 13, 2004, unless Congress acts to renew it. Law enforcement officials across America call on President Bush to press for renewal of the current ban, to help maintain public safety and the safety of law enforcement professionals who would be the first to encounter these weapons and their massive firepower.

National and state law enforcement groups have passed resolutions in support of re-authorization of the current law, while other groups are still in the process of reviewing the law and passing resolutions in support of re-authorization. Currently, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of School Resource Officers, and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police are just a few of the groups that have passed resolutions, while other groups like the Fraternal Order of Police, Major Cities Chiefs Association and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives have come out in support Sen. Diane Feinstein's recent legislation which re-authorizes the current law.

"NASRO is proud to join with other nationally recognized law enforcement groups in support of the re-authorization of assault weapons ban," said Curt Lavarello, executive director for the National Association of School Resource Officers. NASRO recently passes a resolution which is part states; "WHEREAS, our nations schools face an immediate threat if these weapons are allowed back onto our streets, arming potential school shooters with high powered weapons, with high-capacity magazines that were designed to be used by military forces in combat, not in our nations schools" Hubert Williams, president of the Police Foundation a Washington, D.C.-based law enforcement research organization said, "America's law enforcement professionals do an exceptional job keeping the peace with a side arm. Should this ban on military style assault weapons be allowed to expire, every police officer in America will need to be equipped with equal firepower in order to protect themselves and the public they serve, which means assault weapons in every patrol car, and on every beat cop in America. This is not the America any of us wants to live in." The federal law is supported by 80 percent of Americans, over 50 percent of gun owners, and President Bush vowed that he would sign a reauthorization if it got to his desk. A U.S. Senate floor debate and vote on reauthorization occurred on March 2nd and passed by a vote of 52-47, but the overall bill was later scuttled.

The Law Enforcement Relations department at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence united with the Million Mom March is working with law enforcement to gain support for the reauthorization. "So far we have received overwhelming support from our nations law enforcement professionals," said Dave Mitchell, director of Law Enforcement Relations for the Brady Campaign.