Mayors, Police Chiefs Send Letter to Senate Leaders Urging Background Check Legislation

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Oct 28, 2019, 10:19 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, on behalf of the nation's mayors and the police chiefs of major cities across America, the Presidents of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Major Cities Chiefs Association sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calling on them to consider needed legislation that would establish a stronger system of background checks covering all firearms purchases.

"Our communities cannot afford to wait any longer for the federal government to address the epidemic of gun violence. We know that bipartisan, sensible gun safety legislation will make our cities safer without compromising gun owners' rights. That is why we are calling upon Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer to consider legislation that would ensure all firearms purchases go through our background check system," said U.S. Conference of Mayors President Bryan Barnett, Mayor of Rochester Hills (MI).

"Police chiefs and mayors are on the frontlines of communities affected by gun violence, and we know that our communities can't wait any longer for action. Americans overwhelmingly support commonsense background check legislation that will reduce gun violence and the slaughter of innocent people. The time to act is now, and the nation's police chiefs and mayors stand ready to work with members of Congress to get it done," said Major Cities Chiefs Association President Art Acevedo, Houston Police Department Chief.

For more than five decades, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has advocated for policies to combat gun violence, consistent with its support of the Second Amendment. At its 87^th Annual Conference, mayors passed a series of resolutions to address this crisis. The Major Cities Chiefs Association has been a strong advocate for sensible gun policy for many years.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.

About the Major Cities Chiefs Association -- MCCA is a professional association of chiefs and sheriffs representing the largest cities in the United States and Canada. MCCA membership is comprised of the 69 largest law enforcement agencies in the United States and the nine largest in Canada collectively serving 79.9 million people. Formed in 1949, the MCCA provides a forum for executives to share ideas, experiences and strategies for addressing the challenges of policing large urban communities.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors