Cops Launch Stealth Gun Control Group: The National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence

“The National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence was launched today at the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Orlando, Florida,” prnewswire.com informs us. “Representatives of the founding organizations were on hand to speak to the devastating impact of firearms, which kill and injure 100,000 Americans each year.” Yada yada yada gun crimes suck. Not one word in the release on what this new group will actually do. “Reducing gun violence is absolutely essential. Far too many of our citizens live in fear and far too many of our officers have lost their lives,” said Chief Rob Davis, president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. “This unprecedented partnership is about bringing a fresh, pragmatic perspective to the debate about how to enhance community and officer safety.” Like that. So . . . what’s the real deal?

Like I was sayin’, the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence ain’t saying. The only clue comes in their Statement of Principles. [Click here to download.] And that’s just as vague as the press release. Point three gives us an inkling:

Elected   officials   must   commit   to   closing   gaps   in   the   current   regulatory   system,   including   those   that   enable   felons,   minors,   persons   with   mental   illness,  and  other  prohibited  persons  to  access  firearms,  and  those  that  allow   the  trafficking  of  illegal  guns.

What about the gaps between words? (Justification’s like that.) I wasn’t aware of any gaps in the current regulatory system that enable felons, minors, persons with mental illness, and other prohibited persons to gain access to firearms, or the trafficking of illegal guns. As far as I know, it’s already illegal to provide any of these groups with firearms. Perhaps we should focus on enforcement of existing laws.

That said, the statement’s meaning depends on how you define “access.” If you limit the meaning to “purchase or possession,” it’s all bad. But a wider interpretation of this seemingly innocuous “principle” could also green light attempts to legislate against the so-called “gun show loophole” and the equally phantasmagorical “terrorist loophole.” What’s the bet that that’s exactly what this new meta-group’s gunning for?

Needless to say, there’s no website for The National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence, or a contact number at the bottom of the press release.

The biggest indication that I’m not wearing a tinfoil hat: the new org’s Statement of Principles is hosted on the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) website, along with their contact person (left message). The IACP was solidly behind H.R. 2159, the now stillborn Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act. The bottom line: the IACP never met a gun reg “loophole” they didn’t want to close, regardless of its effect on Americans’ gun rights.

While we attempt to chase this down, I would once again caution those who seeks to defend and extend the Second Amendment: the law enforcement community is not your friend.