Senator Kennedy and Congressman Becerra Praised For Introduction Of Bill To Help Police Solve Gun Murders

Feb 11, 2008

Washington, D.C. – Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, issued the following statement about the National Crime Gun Identification Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and in the House by Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA).

“This legislation will help law enforcement track down armed criminals and solve gun murders.  Our police are working harder than ever to catch criminals and keep them behind bars, yet about 40 percent of homicides go unsolved.  Giving police tools like microstamping to help them do their jobs is the common sense thing to do.  

“Last year, California passed a bill to take advantage of this new microstamping technology. Governor Schwarzenegger signed that legislation into law.  I want to commend Senator Kennedy and Congressman Becerra for introducing these bills to put this technology to work nationwide.”

The bills introduced on February 7,2008 would require that all semiautomatic pistols sold after January 1, 2010, be equipped with microstamped identifiers. Internal surfaces of the gun etch tiny characters on every fired bullet cartridge, so that officers who find the cartidge at a crime scene can identify the make, model and serial number of the gun from which it was fired. Microstamping is the next generation in ballistics technology that will give police more precise investigative leads to pursue suspects.

###

The Brady Campaign is the nation's largest citizen's lobby to prevent gun violence. We represent the voice of the overwhelming majority of Americans who are tired of living with the constant tragedy of gun violence and are in favor of strong laws and policies that will save lives. We are the light that exposes politicians who are putting the American people at risk, so the American people can hold them accountable for decisions and actions that undermine public safety.

We are driven by the focused vision of a nation where all Americans are safe at home, at work, at school, and in our communities.

Dan Gross is the President of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. A photo and more information about Dan Gross is available here.

For more insight on gun violence prevention, follow The Brady Blog, Facebook Page and Twitter Account.

Brady News Releases are available via RSS