[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S3293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 HOMICIDES BY GUNSHOT IN NEW YORK CITY

 Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I rise today, as I have done each 
week of the 104th Congress, to announce to the Senate that during the 
past week, 6 people were murdered by gunshot in New York City, bringing 
this year's total to 95.
  Today I received a letter from Sarah Brady, chairman of Handgun 
Control Inc., which brought some very welcome news. The letter, which 
not coincidentally arrives on the 1-year anniversary of the 
implementation of the Brady law, announces the results of a new survey 
unequivocally proving that the Brady law is working. Conducted jointly 
by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Handgun 
Control, Inc., the survey of 115 law enforcement agencies in 27 States 
reveals that background checks in those jurisdictions prevented the 
sale of guns to over 19,000 persons prohibited by law from purchasing 
firearms. Mrs. Brady also informs me that, according to Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms estimates, the Brady law has prevented 
some 70,000 persons nationwide from illegally purchasing firearms.
  Mr. President, this demonstrates that Congress can make a difference 
in the fight to reduce gun violence. I hope it will convince the Senate 
to adopt future measures to address this terrible problem.
  I ask that the letter from Mrs. Brady be printed in the Record.
  The letter follows:

                                                February 27, 1995.
     Hon. Daniel Patrick Moynihan,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Moynihan: Thanks to you, it's working. The 
     results are in! Tuesday, February 28, 1995 marks the first 
     anniversary of the implementation of the Brady Law and a new 
     survey confirms that the new law is helping to keep guns out 
     of the wrong hands.
       Attached for your review are the results of a survey 
     conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of 
     Police (IACP) and Handgun Control, Inc. The survey found that 
     background checks in 115 state and local jurisdictions, 
     covering all or part of 27 states, stopped 19,000 felons and 
     other prohibited persons from obtaining handguns.
       While that is no national reporting requirement, the Bureau 
     of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms estimates that background 
     checks in the past year stopped 70,000 convicted felons and 
     other prohibited persons from making an over-the-counter 
     purchase of a handgun. Forty-thousand of those denials came 
     from ``new'' states which did not previously meet the 
     requirements of the Brady Law. As a result of these 
     background checks, hundreds of arrests have been made of 
     those wanted on outstanding warrants.
       If you have any questions regarding this information, 
     please do not hesitate to call HCI's Marie Carbone.
       On behalf of Jim and myself, please accept our deepest 
     appreciation for all that you did to make these results 
     possible.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Sarah Brady,

                                                    Chair.
     

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