Boston Joins Other Northeastern Cities In Effort

POSTED: 7:12 am EDT April 14, 2008
UPDATED: 8:14 am EDT April 14, 2008

BOSTON -- Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is in Washington Monday with mayors from other U.S. cities seeking a crackdown on illegal gun sales in the U.S.

NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that Interstate 95 is a major thoroughfare for gun smugglers and Menino is planning to meet with representatives from 60 different cities to talk about stopping the flow of illegal guns to cities and neighborhoods.

A recent Team 5 Investigates report revealed how easy it is to purchase guns illegally. In a visit to a gun show, dealers were more than eager to sell guns without necessary permits. These are the weapons that are often resold out on the streets.

Tracing the guns back to the original dealers is nearly impossible because federal laws prevent the sharing of information. Boston is joining other cities along the I-95 eastern corridor where mayors and police chiefs have agreed to share ballistics and forensics evidence and data in order to be able to trace the weapons back to the dealers.