Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed a $1.5 billion fund to allow the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to gain sufficient resources in battling rising gun violence in New York.
The senator pushed for his proposal by saying that the new Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns that was spearheaded by Gov. Kathy Hochul will only work if the ATF has sufficient resources to "choke off crime."
$1.5 Billion ATF Fund
In a statement during a press conference in Manhattan, Schumer said that the ABCs of beating back the scourge that is gun violence depended on the ATF. It was last Sunday when the announcement of the task force with representation from more than 50 groups across New York and neighboring states was made.
The announcement came a day after two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers were fatally shot with a stolen firearm. Politicians said that the goal of the task force is to take on gun trafficking and traffickers by jamming the source of their equipment. They said the group will focus resources on data-sharing, crime gun tracing, and intel gathering, the New York Post reported.
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Police officials said that the weapon that the suspect used in the fatal shooting of the two NYPD officers was reportedly stolen in 2017 in Baltimore. Authorities identified the suspect as Lashawn McNeil who equipped the firearm with an illegal cartridge that held up to 40 rounds of ammo.
On top of fighting against the flow of illegal firearms and ghost guns into New York, the additional fund for the ATF would allow it to support the Department of Justice's special strike force. The group would be focusing on suspects who were connected to gun crimes in New York and other regions in the United States.
Gun Violence
Additionally, Schumer's announcement of the $1.5 billion funding comes just a few days before United States President Joe Biden is set to travel to New York to meet with Mayor Eric Adams. The two officials are expected to discuss the topic of turning the tide on gun violence. Schumer said he was hopeful that Biden will also outline further plans to support the city and state in preventing gun crimes, Amny reported.
The Senate Majority Leader's proposal also comes as two local lawmakers in New York expressed their desire to give the federal government more power to fight against gun traffickers. The two officials are New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Carolyn Maloney who are working with the mothers of murdered young people.
They announced on Friday plans to reintroduce the Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Gun Trafficking and Crime Prevention Act. Gillibrand said that roughly 90% of the guns used in crimes throughout New York were trafficked.
In a statement, Gillibrand said that the guns used in crimes came from outside of the state and were brought in from regions that did not have as restrictive gun laws as New York. She noted that the firearms were being trafficked up the Iron Pipeline I-95 and were being sold directly to criminals in the area, Pix11 reported.
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