January 11, 2011

By Jon Whiten 

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy joined New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and more than a dozen other local mayors and officials in NYC this morning for a Mayors Against Illegal Guns press conference where they outlined “common-sense steps” they say would help keep guns out of the hand of criminals, the mentally ill and other dangerous persons.

The conference was called in response to Saturday’s deadly shooting in Tuscon, Arizona, where six people were killed during what appears to be an attack on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot but remains alive.

“It should have been obvious that this was someone who had serious mental issues and a criminal past, yet was somehow able to get his hands on a lethal weapon, causing the tragedy of 20 people being shot, six fatally,” Mayor Healy said at the press event. “Now, a talented, hardworking congresswoman — who is also a wife and mother — is battling for her life after being shot at point-blank range. Something has to be done at a national level to address what is an obviously unacceptable, yet correctable situation.”

What, exactly, do the mayors have in mind?

The coalition points to its 2009 Blueprint for Federal Action on Illegal Guns, which included 40 concrete steps to crack down on illegal guns in the areas of background checks; policing gun shows; gun tracing; creating more partnerships between agencies, governments and nonprofit groups; enforcing existing gun laws; and restructuring and supplementing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).

The mayors today also highlighted several recommendations directly related to the Tuscon shooting, including fixing gaps in the background check process. Although accused shooter Jared Loughner should have been barred from purchasing firearms under federal law, he reportedly bought a gun from a Tuscon dealer in November.

“Because of inadequate resources, insufficient regulations, and inconsistent administration, the existing federal National Instant Check System (NICS) fails regularly, omitting records of those who are supposed to be prohibited from possessing guns,” the coalition says in a statement. “It must be revamped, and records on drug abusers must be kept in the background check system for five years.”