Leading prosecutors across the country today are announcing support for a wide range of gun violence prevention principles, including universal background checks and measures to crack down on illegal weapons trafficking.
“As prosecutors committed to public safety, we strongly believe these common- sense policies would curtail gun violence across our nation,” said Prosecutors Against Gun Violence (PAGV) co-chair and co-founder Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. “We call on policy makers to share our sense of urgency, put partisanship aside and take action.”
“The set of principles unveiled today reflects PAGV’s independent, non-partisan approach to the public health and safety crisis of gun violence, and the unique and credible perspective that prosecutors bring to this issue,” said PAGV co-chair and co- founder Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. “We invite jurisdictions across America to join our call to address this crisis.”
In September, Feuer and Vance founded PAGV, which includes 30 prosecutors representing major jurisdictions across the United States. PAGV is an independent, non-partisan coalition which identifies and promotes prosecutorial and policy solutions to the national public health and safety crisis of gun violence.
PAGV will work locally and nationally to raise public awareness and support for the following policy principles:
- Universal background checks
- Timely and effective transmission of prohibited persons data to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System
- Combatting illegal weapons trafficking by tightening federal and state anti-trafficking laws, limiting multiple gun sales, and supporting inspection and enforcement of licensed gun dealers
- Limiting access to guns by domestic violence perpetrators, and supporting gun dispossession protocols for domestic abusers.
- Addressing the nexus between mental health and gun violence
- Preventing gun violence through youth and community outreach
- Using technology to more effectively enforce existing laws, and
- Safe storage of firearms.
PAGV also announced that it will convene a national prosecutorial summit on the nexus between gun violence and mental health in Miami, Florida on March 23 and 24, 2015. PAGV will announce additional summit details shortly.
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Prosecutors Against Gun Violence is founded and co-chaired by Manhattan District
Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer.
prosecutorsagv.org 