For Immediate Release

800 Plus Police Chief and Sheriffs and Counting Across Country Urge That Federal Assault Weapons Ban Be Renewed and Strengthened

June 21th, 2004

Maryland Law Enforcement Executives Join in the Call

CeaseFire Maryland, the statewide organization devoted to reducing gun violence, released today a copy of a letter provided to all US Senators and Representatives advising early results of a national Law Enforcement Outreach (LEO) Project. The LEO Project was undertaken by States United to Prevent Gun Violence (States United), the coalition of independent state-based gun violence prevention organizations, and collaborative groups to determine support for renewing and strengthening the federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB), which will expire on September 13 of this year unless Congress and the President enact appropriate legislation.

The existing AWB, enacted in 1994 with a ten-year term, prohibits the manufacture, transfer, and possession of 19 specific semi-automatic assault weapons, such as AK-47s, AR15s, and UZIs. However, the gun industry immediately began to evade the law by making minor cosmetic changes to assault weapons, renaming them, and marketing them as “post-ban” models. Post-ban assault weapons are “copycats” of those banned by the 1994 AWB, and are functionally identical to them, which is why States United, many collaborative grassroots organizations and those Police Chiefs and Sheriffs participating in the LEO Project believe the AWB must be both renewed and strengthened.

Carolynne Jarvis, President of States United, said: “The LEO Project is not complete, but early results are extremely positive and indicative of strong grassroots law enforcement support for renewing and strengthening the AWB. We have already received over 800 replies from Chiefs and Sheriffs all across the country, including many rural departments, calling for the renewal and strengthening of the AWB. Frankly, this should not be a surprise, as it is the men and women law enforcement executives send out each day to protect our communities who are most likely to face assault weapons in the wrong hands.”

Leah Barrett, Executive Director of CeaseFire Maryland said: “CeaseFire Maryland is proud to be a participant in the LEO Project and to announce that results for Maryland reflect those received nationally. To date, 57 Police Chiefs and Sheriffs from our state have joined the call for renewing and strengthening the federal AWB. Like their colleagues from all corners of the country, Maryland Chiefs and Sheriffs understand that their officers face overwhelming firepower in the hands of criminals whether pre or post-ban assault weapons, and they want an AWB that effectively bans both.”

Barrett continued: “Late last week three police officers in Alabama were shot and killed while attempting to serve warrants by a man wielding a SKS assault rifle, a post-ban copycat of a gun banned by name in the current AWB. This horrific incident starkly demonstrates both the danger law enforcement faces each day from the firepower of assault weapons and the need to strengthen the AWB to eliminate the manufacture and sale of post-ban assault weapons.”

Lisa Miller Delity, incoming President of CeaseFire Maryland, Inc., whose brother, FBI Special Agent Mike Miller, was one of three officers shot and killed with a MAC-10 assault pistol in a 1994 massacre at Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Headquarters, said: “My brother was killed with an assault gun banned by name by the ’94 AWB, but the manufacturer now makes and sells essentially the same gun under a slightly different name. And, late last week three police officers in Alabama were shot and killed while attempting to serve warrants by a man wielding a SKS assault rifle, a post-ban copycat of a gun banned by name in the current AWB. These horrific incidents starkly demonstrate both the danger law enforcement faces each day from the firepower of assault weapons and the need to strengthen the AWB to eliminate the manufacture and sale of post-ban assault weapons.”

Jarvis closed with: “We hope that Congress heeds the sad message of last week’s shooting in Alabama and the call of more than 800 Police Chiefs and Sheriffs and acts quickly to renew and strengthen the AWB.”