Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 14 November 2019
Justice Dept. rolls out new program to combat gun violence

Associated Press in June 2015, was able to
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — At- buy his gun even though
torney General William Barr he has admitted to possess-
announced a new initiative ing drugs and a gunman
Wednesday that would who killed 26 people at a
better enforce the U.S. gun church in Texas was able to
background check system, pass a background check
coordinate state and fed- because the Air Force had
eral gun cases and ensure failed to report his criminal
prosecutors quickly update history to the FBI, which
databases to show when a maintains the background
defendant can’t possess a check database.
firearm because of mental A gunman who went on
health issues. a rampage in West Texas
The push, known as Project in September, killing sev-
Guardian, was unveiled at en people, illustrated that
a news conference in Mem- even those who are barred
phis, Tennessee, alongside from owning guns can skirt
officials from the Bureau the law. That gunman had
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire- obtained his AR-style rifle
arms and Explosives, on the through a private sale, al-
same day public impeach- lowing him to evade a fed-
ment hearings against Pres- In this July 8, 2019, file photo, U.S. Attorney General William Barr speaks during a tour of a federal eral background check
ident Donald Trump began prison in Edgefield, S.C. that blocked him from get-
in Washington. Associated Press ting a gun in 2014 due to
As part of the program, U.S. a “mental health issue,” a
prosecutors will coordinate tied to the project have U.S. attorney’s offices failed. The vast majority law enforcement official
with state and local law been sidetracked due to would also be required to were for a criminal convic- told The Associated Press
enforcement officials to the impeachment process quickly input information tion and just over 6,000 at the time.
consider potential federal on Capitol Hill. He said Con- about people who can’t were rejected for a mental Barr said background
charges when a suspect is gress has been asked for own guns for mental health health issue. checks would be enforced
arrested for weapons pos- more resources, including reason into federal data- Federal law defines nine “with a vengeance.”
session, is believed to have more ATF agents and U.S. bases. The attorney gener- categories that would pro- The new program will also
used a gun to commit a vi- marshals. al is also encouraging U.S. hibit someone from being help enhance ATF’s crime
olent crime or drug-traffick- “We are going forward with attorneys across the coun- legally allowed to own or gun intelligence efforts,
ing offense or is suspected all the operational steps try to adopt programs that possess a firearm. They in- which the agency uses to
of being a violent gang that we can take that do could help disrupt potential clude being convicted of identify and target crimi-
member. not require legislative ac- threats and consider rec- any felony charge or a mis- nals and identify where
“Gun crime remains a tion,” Barr said. ommending court-ordered demeanor domestic vio- they get their guns.
pervasive problem in too The initiative requires mental health treatment, lence, being subject to a Agents will work along-
many communities across agents in charge of ATF of- in some cases, for defen- restraining order or active side prosecutors to “cut
America,” Barr said in a fices across the country to dants found to be ineligible warrants, being dishonor- the pipeline of crime guns
statement. either create new guide- to own firearms for mental ably discharged from the from those violent individu-
The program “will strength- lines or review the protocols health reasons. military, being addicted to als who seek to terrorize our
en our efforts to reduce gun already in place to bring The federal government drugs, renouncing your U.S. communities,” said Regina
violence by allowing the federal charges against has come under scrutiny citizenship or being in the Lombardo, ATF’s acting
federal government and people who lie in order to in recent years for failing country illegally or being in- deputy director.
our state and local partners obtain a gun from a fire- to prevent some mass voluntarily committed to a Barr noted that Memphis
to better target offenders arms dealer. Prosecutors shooters from buying guns mental health institution or has about five times the na-
who use guns in crimes and will particularly focus on of- because of lapses in the being found by a court to tional average rate of vio-
those who try to buy guns fenders who have violent background check system. be “a mental defective.” lent crime. Memphis Police
illegally,” Barr said. backgrounds, are gang In 2018, there were more A man who killed nine Director Michael Rallings
During the news confer- members or who have than 26 million background black parishioners at the said violent crime in the
ence, Barr said discussions faced domestic violence checks conducted and Emanuel AME Church in Mississippi River city is way
about any new legislation charges. fewer than 100,000 people Charleston, South Carolina, too high.q

NYPD kept database of juveniles’ fingerprints, violating law

NEW YORK (AP) — Until re- nization that uncovered the gerprints records from the existed for years, infring- nology. It also wants a law
cently, New York City police yearslong practice pres- database and will no lon- ing on young New York- passed to give the public
secretly kept fingerprints of sured the New York Police ger keep them indefinitely. ers’ rights, in clear violation more oversight over such
children arrested as juve- Department to acknowl- It has also issued bulletins to of the law,” said Dawne tools. Beside the fingerprint
niles on file permanently in edge it and then threat- its 36,000 officers advising Mitchell, the attorney-in- database, the Legal Aid
a department database — ened legal action to make them of procedural chang- charge of the Legal Aid Society’s lawyer represent-
an illegal practice that has it stop, citing a state law es meant to ensure compli- Society’s juvenile rights ing juvenile and adult de-
raised alarms about the barring local police from ance with the law. practice. The organization fendants say they’re also
lengths the nation’s larg- stockpiling juveniles’ finger- The Legal Aid Society said called on city lawmakers to concerned about police
est police force has taken prints. Now, after years of the database contained hold an immediate hear- use of facial recognition
to keep tabs on the city’s wrangling and resistance, the fingerprints of tens of ing on the police depart- and DNA collection, as well
youth. the NYPD said Wednesday thousands of youth. ment’s use of surveillance as its database of suspect-
The public defender orga- it has purged all juvenile fin- “This illegal database has and data collection tech- ed gang members.q