Photo Courtesy of Sen. Schumer
“These plans to beat back illegal guns and traffickers must be fueled by federal funding, specifically at the ATF,” Sen. Schumer said.
By Forum Staff
Days after the New York State Police, NYPD, and more than 50 multi-state representatives met as part of the new Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that much of the plans to beat back illegal guns and traffickers in New York, Long Island and beyond depends on the federal government’s, specifically the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, ability to lend critical resources and support along the way—which all depends on dollars.
“The new task force on illegal guns will be critical for data-sharing, crime gun tracing, and intel gathering,” Schumer said on Sunday. “At the same time, these plans to beat back illegal guns and traffickers must be fueled by federal funding, specifically at the ATF, which is also represented on the new force. That is why I am pushing for $1.5 billion dollars in federal funds for the agency, so they can help with this work and do much more at the national level.”
Schumer announced, as part of budget negotiations happening currently, that he will push $1.5 billion dollars for the ATF’s national budget. Schumer said that at least $1.5 billion for the ATF will allow them to disperse the resources needed to fully support the new New York-focused task force. Schumer said that the ATF needs a fully funded budget to take on illegal gun trafficking, jam the iron pipeline exporting guns to states like New York and more.
Early last week, the State held its first meeting of the Task Force on Illegal Guns. According to the state, “the multi-state consortium convened to share intelligence, tools, tactics, and strategies to combat gun violence, especially as it relates to the trafficking of firearms between states. Among other things, the State Police discussed the latest tools and technologies available as well as analysis of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other data sources in furtherance of this endeavor.” New York said that “easily obtainable firearms fuel much of New York’s recent surge in gun violence and a rise in ghost guns, with most of these weapons trafficked into and throughout the state from other areas of the country.”
Schumer added that the Department of Justice has a special strike force of its own that aims to crackdown on export states and bad actors responsible for New York’s crime guns, and this force, too, will require critical ATF dollars if it is to remain in place and functional. Schumer explained what will happen this week in the Senate as it relates to his push as he detailed why this matters to New York, Long Island and so much of the metro area.
According to the DOJ, their own strike force will “…share information and otherwise collaborate across districts where firearms trafficking schemes cross state or jurisdictional boundaries to focus enforcement against entire trafficking networks, from the places where guns are unlawfully obtained to the areas where they are used to commit violent crimes.”
