Sen. Schumer Demands Crackdown On 'Iron Pipeline' Following NYPD Officer's Death
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for a federal crackdown on illegally-trafficked firearms making their way into New York City from out-of-state.
As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported, 90 percent of guns recovered at New York City crime scenes come from out-of-state.
Such was the case, according to police, for the gun used to kill NYPD Officer Brian Moore this past weekend. The .38 Revolver had been stolen from a pawn shop in Georgia, Lamb reported.
"The gun was traced to Little's Bait Tackle and Pawn in Perry, Georgia, from which 23 guns were reported stolen in October, 2011," said Erika Soto Lamb, with Every Town for Gun Safety. "Nine of those guns have since been recovered at New York City crime scenes, including the gun Blackwell used to kill Officer Moore."
Soto Lamb said Georgia law does not require the reporting of stolen guns and, in fact, prohibits local governments from demanding lost and stolen guns to be reported to authorities, making it easy for people to buy guns legally, sell them to criminals and then later claim the guns were stolen.
Sen. Schumer said southern states like Georgia feed the flow of illegal guns to New York City through the "iron pipeline."
"My thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and fellow officers of NYPD hero Brian Moore, who was tragically killed by a cowardly criminal using an illegal gun exported to New York City from gun law-lax Georgia via the so-called 'iron pipeline,' Schumer said.
Now, the lawmaker is vowing to fight for new resources and capabilities for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in an effort to "choke off trafficking flow to New York City."
Schumer detailed three ways in which the ATF can bolster its efforts against the so-called iron pipeline, including modernizing the ATF's National Tracing Center used by NYPD and other local departments; eliminating the Tiahrt amendment, which restricts the ATF from sharing trace data with law enforcement and the public; and enstating a permanent director.
"The feds, especially the ATF, must step up the campaign to cut-off that pipeline and I will fight to get them the resources and enhanced capabilities to do just that. Georgia, and other southern states, have long been the irresponsible source for some of New York City's most horrendous gun crimes, Sen. Schumer said.
"That's why I am pushing to get rid of the barriers faced by ATF; fighting to get them the resources and capabilities they need to carry out this mission; and asking them to immediately devote more of these resources to cracking down on the rush of crime guns flowing onto our streets. Now, more than ever, we need the federal resources and the ATF to permanently clog this noxious and deadly 'iron pipeline'."
Demetrius Blackwell if facing charges of first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Officer Moore in the head in Queens Village on May 2. Moore died two days later.