Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 14 May 2018

Quick release of gun data called

trailblazing and troubling

By MIKE CATALINI port amounts to a way In New Jersey, Murphy and
Associated Press around a federal limita- the Democrat-led Legisla-
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Gun tion on the release of some ture are pushing a pack-
control advocates are hail- data. age of six gun control bills.
ing New Jersey's release Democratic Gov. Phil Mur- The speed of the state's
of near-real-time firearms phy unveiled the data release of ATF data stands
Gun rights advocate Drew Deal of Dallas, right, discusses the trafficking data as a trail- Tuesday as part of a cam- out particularly because
second amendment with a gun control advocate who would blazing use of federal in- paign promise to strength- the most current informa-
not give her name as dueling groups demonstrated outside Dal- formation, but Second en New Jersey's already- tion the bureau has publi-
las City Hall during the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits at the Kay Amendment advocates tight gun laws. The colorful, cized is from 2016.
Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Saturday, May 5, 2018, and skeptical Republicans four-page report uses what ATF Special Agent Joshua
in Dallas.
Associated Press question whether the re- gun control supporters say Jackson said the bureau
is a novelty: Bureau of Alco- won't comment on how a
hol, Tobacco, Firearms and state could publicize data
Explosives gun-trace data faster than the agency it-
for the first quarter of 2018 self. He also said the bu-
to show that 77 percent of reau doesn't track state
guns used in crimes in New initiatives in response to
Jersey come from out of questions about whether
state. New Jersey was the first to
The publication appears to publish the data this quick-
be the first time a state has ly.
taken advantage of the Chipman and Kyleanne
ATF data with such speed, Hunter, the Brady Cam-
according to experts at paign's vice president for
the gun safety Giffords or- programs, said they be-
ganization and the Brady lieve ATF does not prioritize
Campaign and Center to near-real-time release of
Prevent Gun Violence. Cit- data.
ies, most notably Chicago, "It hasn't been a priority,
have used the ATF data in even less so in this adminis-
reports, but those came out tration," Hunter said of Presi-
annually. New Jersey has dent Donald Trump.
pledged to post monthly Speedy data reporting by
data and quarterly data ATF is also a political light-
based on ATF reports. ning rod. That's because
"New Jersey stepped up, the ATF's release of data is
said we have this data, we governed by an appropria-
get it from ATF and we're tions provision that prohibits
going do the work to gath- it from releasing informa-
er, visualize and then pub- tion from its firearms trace
licize this," David Chipman, database to anyone other
a former ATF agent and than a law enforcement
the senior policy adviser agency or prosecutor in
at Giffords, the organiza- connection with a criminal
tion named for gun-attack investigation.
victim and former Arizona That has led Second
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Amendment advocates
The data release comes to raise concerns over the
amid a national conversa- publicizing of such informa-
tion surrounding gun con- tion.
trol in the aftermath of fatal The Association of New Jer-
shootings at a high school sey Rifle and Pistol Clubs,
in Parkland, Florida, and as an affiliate of the National
Democrats push for tighter Rifle Association, said Mur-
gun laws while the Repub- phy could be skirting the
lican-led Congress has not federal provision on gun
passed any such measures. data.q