An Open Letter from 225 Mayors to Congress About Illegal Guns Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, and Minority Leaders McConnell and Boehner: For the last few years, Congress has been undermining police Why is Congress blocking police officers from work by quietly refusing to allow police and prosecutors this data? Allegedly, to protect the anonymity of access to crucial crime-fighting information. We urge you undercover officers, but there is not a single instance to put an end to this stealth attack on law enforcement, to support this claim, as even the ATF has admitted. known as the Tiahrt Amendment. The real reason, of course, is special interest politics. As Congressman Tiahrt himself told the Washington Post in As Mayors, our highest responsibility is protecting public 2003: “I wanted to make sure I was fulfilling the needs safety, and that begins with giving our police officers the of my friends who are firearms dealers.” tools they need to do their jobs. And they need those tools now more than ever: violent crime is on the rise across the Access to trace data has nothing to do with the Second nation, and in both big cities and small towns, police officers Amendment, the rights of hunters and sportsmen or the face the increasingly dangerous problem of criminals with rights of gun dealers – the vast majority of whom run honest easy access to illegal guns. businesses and obey the law. It is about law enforcement, plain and simple. To crack down on illegal gun trafficking rings and keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals, police officers need A nationwide, bi-partisan coalition of mayors is strongly information called “trace data.” When a gun is recovered at opposing re-authorization of the Tiahrt Amendment, and a crime scene, police can trace its serial number to learn who we are being joined by 10 national police organizations – bought and sold that one gun. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has aggregate trace the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, and Major Cities Chiefs Association – and 23 state and regional police data for all guns recovered at crime scenes – yet for the last organizations, including the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police few years, Congress has prevented police and prosecutors and the Texas Association of Chiefs of Police, as well as the from seeing it. American Hunters and Shooters Association. This means that police can’t find out which dealers most America can’t afford a Congress that is soft on crime. frequently sell guns used in crimes (a sign the dealer is This new Congress has a chance to stand up – breaking federal law), or which people most frequently and stand with us – in the fight for public safety buy guns used in crimes (a sign the buyer is illegally by ending the Tiahrt Amendment. Will you? trafficking guns and selling to criminals). It forces police to investigate gun crime one shooting at a time instead Sincerely, of attacking it at its source. Mayors Against Illegal Guns Mayor Samuel L. Jones Mayor Edward Chavez Mayor Jack Ellis Mayor Thomas Menino Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr. Mayor Donald Cresitello Mayor Ernest D. Davis Mayor Jim Brown Mayor Will Wynn MOBILE, ALABAMA STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA MACON, GEORGIA BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS BaYONNE, NEW JERSEY MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY MT. VERNON, NEW YORK LOCKLAND, OHIO AUSTIN, TEXAS Mayor Patrick Hays Mayor Otto O. Lee Mayor Jere Wood Mayor James E. Harrington Mayor Jason J. Varano Mayor David Scapicchio Mayor Noam Bramson Mayor Lydia J. Reid Mayor Laura Miller NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS SUNNYvaLE, CALIFORNIA ROSWELL, GEORGIA BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY MOUNT OLIVE, NEW JERSEY NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK MANSFIELD, OHIO DaLLAS, TEXAS Mayor Todd Campbell Mayor Christopher Cabaldon Mayor Otis Johnson Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves Mayor Gwendolyn A. Faison Mayor James Manning, Jr. Mayor Michael Bloomberg Mayor Michael O. Ciaravino Mayor Bill White BURBANK, CALIFORNIA WEST SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA SavannaH, GEORGIA CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY NEW YORK, NEW YORK MAPLE HEIGHTS, OHIO HOUSTON, TEXAS Mayor Daniel E. Furtado Mayor Morris Vance Mayor Mufi Hannemann Mayor Jim Fiorentini Mayor Sophie Heymann Mayor Cory Booker Mayor Robert Duffy Mayor Thomas E. O’Grady Mayor Richard Ward CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA VISTA, CALIFORNIA HONOLULU, HAWAII HavERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS BOROUGH OF CLOSTER, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY ROCHESTER, NEW YORK NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO HURST, TEXAS Mayor Cheryl Cox Mayor John Hickenlooper Mayor Richard Daley Mayor Michael J. Sullivan NEW JERSEY Mayor Peter C. Massa Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll Mayor Judith Rawson Mayor Rocky Anderson CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA DENVER, COLORADO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS Mayor Carol Foster NORTH ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY SYRACUSE, NEW YORK SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH Mayor Kris Wang Mayor John Fabrizi Mayor Lorraine Morton Mayor Clare Higgins CORBIN CITY, NEW JERSEY Mayor Randy George Mayor Philip Amicone Mayor John Smith Mayor Bob Kiss CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT EvanSTON, ILLINOIS NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS Mayor James Carroll NORTH HALEDON, NEW JERSEY YONKERS, NEW YORK SILVERTON, OHIO BURLINGTON, VERMONT Mayor Robert Wasserman Mayor Eddie Perez Mayor Rita Mullins Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone DEMAREST, NEW JERSEY Mayor Janice G. Allen Mayor Terry Bellamy Mayor Marcia L. Fudge Mayor William B. Euille FREMONT, CALIFORNIA HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT PaLATINE, ILLINOIS SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS Mayor Chester Riland NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, OHIO ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA Mayor Gary Plass Mayor John DeStefano Mayor John A. Spring Mayor Charles V. Ryan DOWNE TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY Mayor Harry Moore Mayor Kevin Foy Mayor Barry Porter Mayor Paul D. Fraim HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA NEW HavEN, CONNECTICUT QUINCY, ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS Mayor Joseph R. Smith OLDMANS TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA WYOMING, OHIO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA Mayor Beth Krom Mayor Richard A. Moccia Mayor Lawrence J. Morrissey Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick EAST NEWARK, NEW JERSEY Mayor Michael Luther Mayor Bill Bell Mayor Jay Williams Mayor Annie M. Mickens IRVINE, CALIFORNIA NORWALK, CONNECTICUT ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS DETROIT, MICHIGAN Mayor Robert L. Bowser PaRSIPPANY-TROY HILLS, DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA Mayor H. Manuel Ortiz Mayor Dannel P. Malloy Mayor Richard H. Hyde Mayor Steve Lampi EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY NEW JERSEY Mayor Keith A. Holliday Mayor Kathy Taylor Mayor James W. Holley III IRWINDALE, CALIFORNIA STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS BROOKLYN PaRK, MINNESOTA Mayor J. Christian Bollwage Mayor Samuel Rivera GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA TULSA, OKLAHOMA PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Mayor Scott Slifka Mayor James Brainard Mayor Gary F. Van Eyll ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY PaSSAIC, NEW JERSEY Mayor Charles Meeker Mayor Rob Drake Mayor L. Douglas Wilder LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT CARMEL, INDIANA CHASKA, MINNESOTA Mayor David Delle Donna Mayor Jose Torres RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA BEavERTON, OREGON RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Mayor Ron Dellums Mayor Adrian Fenty Mayor Graham Richard Mayor Herb W. Bergson GUTTENBERG, NEW JERSEY PaTERSON, NEW JERSEY Mayor Dennis Walaker Mayor Ed Pawlowski Mayor Peter B. Lewis OaKLAND, CALIFORNIA WASHINGTON, DC FORT WAYNE, INDIANA DULUTH, MINNESOTA Mayor Beth Ann Haven Mayor Harry L. Wyant FaRGO, NORTH DaKOTA ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLvanIA AUBURN, WASHINGTON Mayor Pamela Torliatt Mayor Vance A. Funk, III Mayor Stephen Luecke Mayor R.T. Rybak HADDON HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY PHILLIPSBURG, NEW JERSEY Mayor Dan Pillow Mayor John B. Callahan Mayor Greg Nickels PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA NEWARK, DELAWARE SOUTH BEND, INDIANA MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA Mayor Glen D. Gilmore Mayor Gary Giberson ADDYSTON, OHIO BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLvanIA SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Mayor Jennifer Hosterman Mayor James M. Baker Mayor Kay Halloran Mayor Rob Marty HAMILTON, NEW JERSEY PORT REPUBLIC, NEW JERSEY Mayor Donald Plusquellic Mayor Helen Thomas Mayor Bill Baarsma PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA WILMINGTON, DELAWARE CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA MOUNDS VIEW, MINNESOTA Mayor James C. DiNardo Mayor Mohamed Khairullah AKRON, OHIO DaRBY, PENNSYLvanIA TaCOMA, WASHINGTON Mayor Gayle McLaughlin Mayor Scott J. Brook Mayor Edwin Winborn Mayor Chris Coleman HAZLET TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY PROSPECT PaRK, NEW JERSEY Mayor Joseph Harper Mayor Joseph Sinnott Mayor John M. Antaramian RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA DavENPORT, IOWA SAINT PaUL, MINNESOTA Mayor Meryl Frank Mayor Pasquale Menna ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, OHIO ERIE, PENNSYLvanIA KENOSHA, WISCONSIN HIGHLAND PaRK, NEW JERSEY BOROUGH OF RED BanK, NEW Mayor Heather Fargo Mayor Joy Cooper Mayor T.M. Franklin Cownie Mayor Mark Schiffman JERSEY Mayor Mark Mallory Mayor J. Richard Gray Mayor Dave Cieslewicz SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA HALLANDALE BEACH, FLORIDA DES MOINES, IOWA WACONIA, MINNESOTA Mayor Wayne Smith CINCINNATI, OHIO LANCASTER, PENNSYLvanIA MADISON, WISCONSIN IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY Mayor Earl Gage Mayor Patrick J. Morris Mayor Julio Robaina Mayor Elaine Walker Mayor Andrew G. Humprey SALEM, NEW JERSEY Mayor Frank Jackson Mayor John Street Mayor Tom Barrett SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA HIALEAH, FLORIDA BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY WAYZATA, MINNESOTA Mayor Jerramiah Healy CLEVELAND, OHIO PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLvanIA MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY Mayor Emilia Siciliano Mayor Jerry Sanders Mayor Mara Giulianti Mayor