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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-31-2007 Mayor Returns from National Summit Against Illegal Guns 01 4 � F x G� d W PEACE a x x 1865 MEDIA RELEASE Wednesday,January 31,2007 3:45 PM Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564 Phil Trent, SBPD Community Relations Division, 235-5564 Mayor Returns from National Summit Against Illegal Guns Mayor Luecke returned to South Bend, late last week, after a two-day trip to Washington, D.C. where he was attending the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Summit. The summit, hosted by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, brought together mayors from all over the country to discuss the growing problem of illegal guns. "The flow of illegal guns into communities all across America is a travesty," said Mayor Luecke. "Easy access to these guns has made our neighborhoods less safe and made law enforcement more difficult. I have joined this coalition to learn from other mayors,to share strategies that we are using here in South Bend and St. Joseph County, and to put bi-partisan pressure on Congress to reject laws that would tie the hands of police officers and prosecutors." The Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) coalition began with last year's summit, where 15 mayors met to discuss strategies for stemming the flow of illegal guns into American cities. This year's summit was significantly larger, drawing 53 mayors. And momentum for the cause continues to build. Just days after Mayor Luecke's return from Washington, summit organizers announced that 31 new mayors, from states all across the country,had stepped up and become a part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Over 154 mayors from more than 40 states have now joined the bi-partisan coalition. "The issue of illegal guns is not a Republican or Democratic issue, it is not liberal or conservative, it is an issue of law and order—life and death," said the Mayor while commenting on the MAIG Statement of Principals, which he has signed. "We want to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists. We want maximum punishment for those who possess, use and traffic in illegal guns. We want to stop straw purchases of guns and be able to share trace data which is so essential to effective enforcement. We want the ATE to be able to do its job effectively in order to stop illegal gun traffickers. This is a national problem which needs national attention." Illegal guns are a mounting problem in many areas across the country, as well as in Indiana. Every year 30,000 Americans are killed due to gun violence. In 2004, in Indiana, there were 56 firearm deaths of children and teens. In 2006, South Bend police, through the Neighborhood Enforcement Services Team (NEST), removed twenty-three illegal guns from the streets. "Gun violence and illegal guns is a national problem," said Mayor Luecke, "but it affects each of us locally." To stem the rising violence, South Bend law enforcement has pursued a multi-faceted approach. Locally they have added an Anti-Gang Unit to the Neighborhood Enforcement Services Team. In 2006,the SBPD confiscated 433 firearms during its investigations. Recognizing the need for cooperative law enforcement,they have also joined forces with the multi jurisdictional Project Disarm Task Force. In the last two years, the task force,through their investigations have confiscated over 1025 firearms in the northern district of Indiana. Law enforcement officials have also welcomed the introduction of a U.S. Attorney initiative, called "Don't Lie for the Other Guy". The "Don't Lie" campaign aims to educate federal firearms licensees on how to detect straw purchasers (a major source of illegal weapons in the U.S.) and illustrates to the greater public that it is illegal to purchase guns for the purpose of turning them over to a third party. "We are committed to maintaining safe communities, free from firearm violence," said the Mayor. "The MAIG summit was a positive step in the right direction. We will continue to fight for the rights of our law-abiding citizens and to protect our communities from the scourge of illegal guns."