Printer Friendly Format Email a Friend


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 219-07
June 28, 2007

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON VOTE BY SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE TO PASS AN EVEN MORE RESTRICTIVE TIAHRT AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY SENATOR RICHARD C. SHELBY (R-AL)

“Today’s vote by the Senate Appropriations Committee showed Congress at its most craven, buckling to pressure from the gun lobby to protect those who traffic in illegal guns – even if it means locking up police officers. And make no mistake: under this new Tiahrt provision, police officers may be sent to jail – for up to five years – for doing exactly what they are trained to do: follow every lead, solve every crime, and prevent the next crime from occurring. This version of the Tiahrt Amendment is worse than anything we’ve ever seen – and it’s a slap in the face to the men and women who put on a uniform every day and risk their lives to protect us. With crime on the rise nationally, even as it continues to fall in New York, Congress has absolutely no business stripping police officers of one of their most important tools – aggregate data on guns used in crimes– and threatening them with jail time if they use it. Calling this version of the Tiahrt Amendment soft on crime would be a gross understatement; it will empower criminals, undercut cops, and endanger innocent citizens – which is why nearly every national law enforcement organization opposes it, along with a bi-partisan coalition of more than 225 mayors. I thank those Senators who stood with us today. The rest have placed politics above law enforcement – and by doing so, they have made our nation a more dangerous place. Americans, and the police who protect us, deserve better.”







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser   (212) 788-2958




More Resources