Bloomberg's Actions Are Best Argument For Restriction - Reader comments at The New York Sun

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On Guns, Bloomberg Issues Threat to Capitol Hill Lawmakers

Submitted by Mt. Man, Jan 25, 2007 06:47

Bloomberg and NYPD obtained trace data from ATF by asking NYPD to obtain the data for purposes of bringing a civil lawsuit and not in connection with a "bona fide criminal investigation" That is a crime under the Gun Controal Act. Law enforcement can only request a trace in connection with a bona fide criminal investigation.

Bloomberg then had private investigators under the direction of the city's civil attorneys rank the dealers by numbers of traces. ATF says that traces standing alone is not evidence of wrongdoing by anyone, including the dealer. Without any evidence of wrongdoing the mayor sent civil investigators as his agents to conduct illegal straw purchases from out of state dealers. It is a crime to purchase a handgun across state lines. It is a crime for one to transfer (after the purchase from a dealer) a handgun to someone from another state.

Bloomberg sent the investigators off to conduct "simulated straw purchases" WITHOUT consulting with ATF or EVEN the NYPD. As a consequence, Bloomberg interfered with as many as 18 on going criminal investigations and thereby placed ATF agents at risk, not to mention witnesses. ATF - NY spokesman Joe Green is quoted in NY magazine expressing how upset ATF was with the mayors actions. They had to scramble to make sure that none of their people got killed. How many of these investigations were ruined because of Bloomberg's actions?

To make matters worse, at his press conference ATF in May of last year he insulted ATF calling them "asleep at the switch" He said he would turn over the tapes of his so called sting operations to ATF so they could investigate the actions of the dealers. He then stonewalled ATF's investigation by refusing to provide the tapes. Why? Because the US Dept of Justice and ATF has stated publicly that they are conducting an investigation to determine whether the mayor and the actions of his investigators violated any laws, as well as whether the actions of any of the dealers broke the law.

So the best reason to refute Bloomberg's call for the release of sensitive law enforcement information (gun trace data) is Bloomberg himself. The Fraternal Order of Police support restricting this data to just law enforcement. The data is available to NYPD in connection with bona fide criminal investigations. Why does Bloomberg want the data? To bring civil lawsuits against gun dealers all across the US to impose NYC style gun control on as many out of state businesses as he can.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
I believe that what were seeing in Bloomberg's tactics is the beginning of a clever and coordinated scheme to damage... [MORE]	Veriras	Jan 28, 2007 00:36
NYC second amendment anti gun laws came into being because returning WW 1 verterans, many the sons of new european... [MORE]	Peter Smith	Jan 27, 2007 16:22
Bloomberg and NYPD obtained trace data from ATF by asking NYPD to obtain the data for purposes of bringing a...	Mt. Man	Jan 25, 2007 06:47
Mister Mayor. About 85% of the patrol officers I work with would rather take assault reports which ended with victims... [MORE]	California Copper	Jan 25, 2007 01:42
I wonder if the toxic and inflamatory anti gun/ gun owner rhetoric spewing from Hizzoner has afected an attitude in... [MORE]	veritas	Jan 27, 2007 13:42
The laws are there! The majority are repeat offenders. If the criminals were put away in the first place and... [MORE]	Darwin Clister	Jan 24, 2007 23:31
Mayor Bloomberg, your jurisdiction ends at the New York city limits. I don't think your job description gives you extraterritorial... [MORE]	Sam in Louisiana	Jan 24, 2007 22:41
"At yesterday's conference, the mayors also released poll results showing support for their cause among Americans." Of course there are some... [MORE]	Mark	Jan 24, 2007 22:10
Mr. Bloomberg is just one more reason a life long New Yorker (upstate for 55 years) like myself, is looking... [MORE]	Edward Cerra	Jan 24, 2007 20:18
Bloomberg's wealth does not make him right. He has broken laws in his attempt to trap gunshops into committing illegal... [MORE]	Chuck	Jan 24, 2007 19:44
I can't understand why the BATFE and other federal law inforcement agencies aren't taking the mayor to task? What gives... [MORE]	E C Sherman	Jan 25, 2007 00:26
Mayor Bloomburg and the other mayors of his colalition need to look at the way in which their cities have... [MORE]	George Chapman	Jan 24, 2007 19:19
Mayor Bloomberg doesn't want a law, the Tiahrt Amendment, that "restricts information that is there and that any rational person... [MORE]	John P. Boyle, D.M.D	Jan 24, 2007 17:56
The reason why we are loosing our liberties is because the elite (Bloomberg) are afraid of "We the People".I am... [MORE]	Mark	Jan 24, 2007 23:20
NRA?! Bloomberg's meeting was protested in DC by the Virginia Citizens Defense League. They do not like the Mayor's illegal... [MORE]	Bruce	Jan 24, 2007 16:48
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is truly a misguided individual. In his attempt to look tough on crime he's continually overstepped his... [MORE]	Rebecca	Jan 24, 2007 15:38
Mr. Billionare Bloomberg is out of touch with the real A merica, he has made comments like " WHY WOULD... [MORE]	John	Jan 24, 2007 22:05
New York Mayor Bloomberg (and the other mayors in his group) keep blaming everyone else for their cities problems. This... [MORE]	Charles Petrik	Jan 24, 2007 14:35
To whom it may concern: As a society we accept the deaths of children and young adults via the swimming pool,... [MORE]	Gregg Scott	Jan 25, 2007 12:49
Interesting that the mayor of the USA's largest city talk like a mafioso of yore. Gun owners in New York... [MORE]	Mehul Kamdar	Jan 24, 2007 14:32
There is a reason for ATF to be the only enity to utilize gun trace info. It is because the... [MORE]	frankooo	Jan 24, 2007 14:22
How curious, newspapers always say "alleged" even when referring to a murderer caught on videotape. Yet your bias is such... [MORE]	David Lynn Smith	Jan 24, 2007 13:21
You can get a pretty good idea of what a politician relly thinks about freedom and liberty by looking at... [MORE]	Sam Mosin	Jan 24, 2007 12:49
Mayor Bloomberg has a crime problem in NYC, not a gun problem. Criminals cause crime, not guns. Mayor Bloomberg needs... [MORE]	Stuart S. Strickler	Jan 24, 2007 11:04
Criminals are NOT going to have to go through the loopholes that bloombergs gun control sets up. Criminals are called... [MORE]	Jed	Jan 24, 2007 11:00
Old tricks that wont work Mr. Mayor. We're watching and remembering also. How about putting down your thugs instead of our... [MORE]	howard goodman	Jan 25, 2007 01:01
Why doesn't Bloomberg and his gaggle of mayors go after the criminals instead of trying to force his personal version... [MORE]	Carl	Jan 24, 2007 10:58
I think Bloomberg has no idea how to fight crime. He is just after more government control. In short he... [MORE]	Tom Langford	Jan 24, 2007 10:26

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