Gun Industry Group Supports Crackdown On Straw Purchases
(CBS) -- The gun industry has teamed up with the federal government and local law enforcement in Chicago collar counties for a public awareness campaign.
The message: There are stiff penalties for being a straw purchaser of a firearm.
Leading the public awareness effort is Lawrence Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who says sometimes it's easy for retailers to tell when somebody's is trying to buy a guy for someone who legally cannot buy one.
"For example: If two people come in and one person picks out the gun, looks at the gun, examines the gun and has a conversation with the retail clerk and then says, 'OK, I want that.' And then when the paperwork gets filled out, they slide it over to the person that's with them or they hand them the cash right in front of the dealer."
Keane says the data suggest fewer than 10 percent of gun crimes are committed with guns obtained through straw purchases.
The penalty for being a straw purchaser can be up to 10 years in prison.
The public awareness campaign is called "Don't Lie for the Other Guy."
The gun industry trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, is supplying materials for the campaign. It is based in Newtown, Conn.
