Support for the Assault Weapons Ban
SUPPORT FOR THE ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
Submitted by: Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Committee
NDD.001.a08
WHEREAS, in 1994 Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which included provisions making it a federal crime for an individual to possess or transfer assault weapons (firearms) manufactured after that date; and
WHEREAS, the ban expired on September 13, 2004; and
WHEREAS, anecdotal evidence from the law enforcement community indicates that assault weapons (firearms) are increasingly being used by drug dealers and gang members; and
WHEREAS, trace data of firearms seized in Mexico and within the United States bound for Mexico indicates that drug trafficking organizations at all levels are choosing higher quality and more powerful weapons which commonly include, among others, the Colt AR-15 .233 caliber assault rifle and the AK-47 type/variant 7.62 caliber assault rifle; and
WHEREAS, assault weapons (firearms) are rapidly becoming the weapon of choice for street level drug traffickers; and
WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are increasingly the victims of firearm related crime; specifically: within the United States in 2007, 68 law enforcement officers were shot and killed, representing a 26% increase from 2006 and, of those, 11 were shot with a rifle; and
WHEREAS, assault weapons (firearms) commonly include combat features which make the weapon more lethal and its user more difficult to detect; and
WHEREAS, the IACP supports efforts to eliminate the easy accessibility and use of assault weapons (firearms); now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 115th Annual Conference in San Diego, California, strongly supports legislation to reinstate the ban on assault weapons (firearms).