STATEMENT BY MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS CO-CHAIRS ON OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S REFORM OF THE TIAHRT AMENDMENTS

Below are statements by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino on the Obama administration's decision to allow full law enforcement access to crime gun trace data, while leaving in place other restrictions:

"Removing the major limitation on local police departments' ability to access crime gun trace data is an important step forward that will make communities across America safer," said Mayor Bloomberg. "While other unnecessary, anti-police Tiahrt Amendment restrictions remain in place in this budget, President Obama deserves credit for removing the most egregious and harmful restriction.  Giving the police greater access to trace data gives them a critically important tool in their efforts to combat gun traffickers and keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals."

"President Obama has taken a positive first step toward providing local law enforcement with the tools they need to keep illegal guns off of our streets and out of the hands of criminals," said Mayor Menino. "These reforms are a sign of progress in removing obstacles that currently make it harder for police officers to protect our residents.  I'm encouraged by the President's actions, and we will continue to work with leaders in Washington and mayors across the U.S. to take further steps to stem the flow of illegal guns in our communities.  We have a responsibility to do all that we can to reduce the impact of senseless gun violence."

Background on the Tiahrt Amendments

The Department of Justice's FY 2010 budget, released today by the White House, removes the restriction that limits access to federal crime gun trace data to state and local police investigations of individual crimes. That restriction prevents them from investigating the broader criminal networks that may be behind those crimes. The new language would enable state and local law enforcement to have full access to ATF's gun trace database to analyze gun trafficking patterns.  The White House budget leaves unchanged the Tiahrt Amendment restrictions that prevent ATF from requiring gun dealers to conduct inventory inspections to detect lost and stolen guns and a requirement that the FBI destroy gun background check records within 24 hours.  Both restrictions inhibit law enforcement's ability to detect illegal straw purchases and guns lost and stolen from gun stores - two of the major methods criminals use to get guns, according to the ATF.

About the Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its inception in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from just 15 mayors to over 350 members in over 40 states. Mayors Against Illegal Guns has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting their communities by holding gun offenders and irresponsible gun dealers accountable, demanding access to trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking, and working with legislators to fix gaps, weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other prohibited purchasers to get guns.