Firearms Industry Comments on NYC Settlement With Gun Dealers

8/1/2006 12:46:00 PM

To: State Desk

Contact: Larry Keane of National Sports Shooting Foundation, 203-426-1320

NEWTOWN, Conn., Aug. 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The National Sports Shooting Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, said today that the proposed settlement between New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and two of 15 federal firearms licensed gun dealers targeted by Bloomberg in a federal lawsuit was redundant to existing federal regulatory oversight and joint educational programs between the firearms industry and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The agreement, announced yesterday, calls for the two dealers to receive additional training in conducting lawful sales and detecting and preventing sales to illegitimate 'straw' purchasers. "The firearms industry has for years partnered with ATF, the appropriate and legally authorized federal regulatory agency, to provide dealers with education and training on how to prevent illegal straw purchases through our 'Don't Lie for the Other Guy' program, and on how to comply with the extensive laws and regulations governing the lawful sale of firearms through our 'Partner for Progress' seminars," said Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of the NSSF. "It is disappointing that the mayor calls for more dealer education but continues to rebuff our proven programs. Our responsible industry is proud of its longstanding cooperative relationship with law enforcement, and we look forward to continuing this valuable partnership," added Keane. Each dealer receives extensive educational training from ATF.

The dealers also allowed a "special master," to be selected and paid by the city, to monitor their lawful and highly regulated business practices. "The monitor's oversight will be largely redundant to that of ATF," said Keane. The monitor will also be able to fine the dealers for violations of the settlement agreement. Ironically, Bloomberg opposes federal legislation (HR 5092) that would enhance the ATF's enforcement powers by permitting the agency to issue fines and to suspend licenses, in addition to revoking licenses.

Bloomberg has had an adversarial relationship with the ATF. In announcing his lawsuit in May, he claimed ATF "was asleep at the switch" and not doing its job. Bloomberg ordered sting operations to be conducted at 45 dealers without notifying either ATF or the New York Police Department. In the proces, the mayor's operations interfered with as many as 18 ongoing federal investigations, jeopardizing the lives of undercover law enforcement officers and witnesses.

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Important Links:

NSSF Programs: http://www.nssf.org/news/PR_idx.cfm?PRloc=common/legal/042506Summit/&PR=index.cfm

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives: http://www.atf.gov/firearms/ffrrg/index.htm

http://www.usnewswire.com/

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1 posted on 08/04/2006 10:40:32 AM PDT by neverdem

"We call upon Mayor Bloomberg to support ATF rather than continually insulting the agency and interfering with its ability to do its job," said Keane. "Regrettably, Mayor Bloomberg seems more interested in making headlines than real progress."
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Typical liberal who does not play by anything but his own rules. It is one of the many symptoms of the mental disorder called LIBERALISM.

2 posted on 08/04/2006 10:52:26 AM PDT by EagleUSA

2 Georgia Gun Dealers Settle Suit Brought by New York City

Clarification: It's one guy who owns two different pawn broker businesses.

Whatever, to those in Georgia: Dont do business with him. Boycott.

3 posted on 08/04/2006 10:58:35 AM PDT by lowbridge (I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming, like his passengers.)

4 posted on 08/04/2006 11:18:59 AM PDT by P8riot ("You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone." - Al Capone)

I find myself wondering about the privacy implications of the deal described here.

The 4473s, the yellow forms, are required by federal law and many times, for the convenience of people with common names, contain social security numbers. I would question whether any gun dealer has the right to share this information with anybody not authorized by federal law.

If I was in this area, I would purchase a firearm, put my Social Security number on the form, and standby for some fireworks.

5 posted on 08/04/2006 12:09:15 PM PDT by William Tell (RKBA for California (rkba.members.sonic.net) - Volunteer by contacting Dave at rkba@sonic.net)

The dealers also allowed a "special master," to be selected and paid by the city

NYC tax dollars going to good use, how long before Police and Fire Depts. are forced to reduce size due to paying for the "special masters" (gotta love that name, makes it sound like the gun dealers are slaves now, maybe by settling they sold themselves into slavery to Bloomberg/NYC?) that will be overseeing all the out of state gun dealers.

6 posted on 08/04/2006 1:05:51 PM PDT by looscnnn ("Olestra (Olean) applications causes memory leaks" PC Confusious)

Yes, but you got to love this (Bloomberg sued over illegal gun lawsuit)

7 posted on 08/04/2006 1:09:18 PM PDT by looscnnn ("Olestra (Olean) applications causes memory leaks" PC Confusious)

Thanks for the link. Bob Barr still does the Lord's work.

8 posted on 08/04/2006 1:11:24 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)

To: William Tell

The SSN on the 4473 is optional. You don't have to fill that blank in.

9 posted on 08/04/2006 1:17:21 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")

To: FreedomCalls

FreedomCalls said: "The SSN on the 4473 is optional. You don't have to fill that blank in."

I'm aware of that. But if your name is "Jim Smith" then I believe that the "instant" background check may go through more smoothly if you supply the number. I'm not sure if a dealer can use the number if it is NOT on the 4473.

My point is that the form has a legally mandated purpose and that the form may contain the Social Security number. Therefore, I believe that there is some presumption of limited use of the form. It's not clear to me that the dealer has the right to do anything he wants with the form, up to and including releasing the information to a mayor with no legal standing in the dealer's state for the purpose of avoiding a lawsuit.

If YOU threatened a gun dealer with a lawsuit, would that dealer be entitled to release MY information to you, including my Social Security number? I don't think so.

10 posted on 08/04/2006 1:36:12 PM PDT by William Tell (RKBA for California (rkba.members.sonic.net) - Volunteer by contacting Dave at rkba@sonic.net)

To: William Tell

If YOU threatened a gun dealer with a lawsuit, would that dealer be entitled to release MY information to you, including my Social Security number?

Sure. Why not? In legal terms it's called "discovery." Remember, you voluntarily gave the dealer your SSN. It wasn't required. What law would preclude him from passing that along?

11 posted on 08/04/2006 2:08:55 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")

Here is a link to the Complaint. Very interesting reading:

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/pdf/bloombergcomplaint.pdf

12 posted on 08/05/2006 6:42:31 AM PDT by Liberty Ship ("Lord, make me fast and accurate.")

To: Liberty Ship; Joe Brower; El Gato; Squantos; archy; King Prout; Eaker; PoorMuttly; ...

Liberty Ship, thanks for the link. It is worth the read!

13 posted on 08/05/2006 10:43:32 AM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)

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