‘Police Reforms’ Mean More Illegal Guns on The Streets, Soaring Crime Rates

From the CCRKBA . . .

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today blasted so-called “police reforms” in various American cities for hindering law enforcement efforts to remove contraband guns from the streets, thus enabling criminals to illegally circulate firearms to convicted felons or underage thugs, contributing to a violent crime problem for which law-abiding gun owners are unfairly penalized.

A recent report said “reforms” instituted in Philadelphia that reduced traffic stops are having a negative impact. It was estimated that up to 80 percent of illegal guns “taken off the street” were due to traffic stops. There apparently are similar troubles in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. So-called “reforms” have also been instituted in Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis.

“The same politicians tying the hands of police and preventing them from putting a crimp in gun trafficking are constantly demanding more laws to restrict law-abiding gun owners,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “It’s as though liberal city politicians are on the side of criminals rather than cops and honest citizens.”

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, lamented earlier this week that only police should have guns, Gottlieb noted.

“Jim Kenney is a perfect example of the liberal urban political mindset,” Gottlieb said. “He complained there are ‘a lot of goofballs out there with guns and they can get them anytime they want.’ His administration made that a lot easier with these ridiculous reforms that prevent police from actually intercepting gun traffickers and discovering guns possessed by people who shouldn’t have them, during routine traffic stops.

“It is because of such policies, and soft-on-criminal prosecutors, that the nation is seeing criminals operate with impunity,” he observed. “When criminals know they’re not going to be vigorously prosecuted, they are simply emboldened to continue committing crimes that often turn violent. Then what happens? Law-abiding gun owners take the heat from self-righteous politicians for crimes they didn’t commit.

“Honest gun owners are tired of taking the rap,” Gottlieb added. “Take the handcuffs off police and put them back on the criminals. Stop demanding laws to take guns away from law-abiding citizens and instead restore policies that take guns away from outlaws who shouldn’t have them.”