Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, Deputy Leader and convener of the National Network to Combat Gun Violence, issued the following statement in regard to the new report from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman revealing 90% of guns used in crimes in New York come from out of state - mainly Florida, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.
STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS
"The need for stricter federal gun laws is evidenced by Attorney General Schneirderman's report. It fully explains away the unfounded equation that says since areas with high amounts of gun violence, often have tighter gun restrictions, then restrictions therefore have no meaning.
"Quite the contrary, as this report points out, what is needed is stricter federal guidelines, not weaker ones, and a focus on the gun trafficking that is made so much easier by inconsistent laws.
"Take an area like Chicago, Illinois that has some of the toughest gun laws in the country; but at the same time, deals with some of the nation's highest incidents of gun violence. A closer look shows that local restrictions are working, since most of the guns used come from outside of Chicago, with a high percentage coming from two counties near Chicago with lax gun selling processes.
"We need a combined approach to this pandemic; tougher gun laws that respect the Second Amendment and can deal with the supply of guns into our communities, as well as, resources to address the demand of violence that are too often a response to conditions many are forced to live in."
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