    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [July 8, 1996]
    [Page 1084]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative
    July 8, 1996

    Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General

    Subject: Implementation of the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative

        Firearms violence is a scourge on our society. Homicides committed
    by young people with firearms have nearly tripled since 1985, and other
    types of gun-related violence have been on the rise. Too many guns are
    in the hands of our Nation's children.
        Through the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Violent
    Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, we have reduced
    criminals' access to firearms, including military-style assault weapons.
    We are using the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 to take guns out of
    schools, making schools a safer learning environment for our children.
        In addition, working in cooperation with State and local law
    enforcement in unprecedented fashion, Federal investigators and
    prosecutors have successfully disrupted numerous illicit gun markets
    across the country over the last 3 years. We need to strengthen our
    efforts to clamp down on these illegal markets, especially those that
    provide crime guns to children.
        The Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
    Firearms (ATF) has developed a pilot program that will trace all guns
    used in crime that are seized by Federal, State, and local law
    enforcement officers, and work with that trace information to help
    identify illegal gun traffickers. The project utilizes an innovative
    computer software system that examines crime gun trace information and
    provides law enforcement officers with crucial investigative leads about
    the sources of these guns. By analyzing patterns of gun trafficking that
    exist in an area, we are developing more effective law enforcement
    strategies to target illegal gun traffickers for prosecution,
    particularly those who put guns into the hands of our Nation's young
    people.
        I am directing you to implement this project in 17 pilot cities:
    Atlanta, Georgia; Boston, Massachusetts; Baltimore, Maryland;
    Birmingham, Alabama; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Cleveland, Ohio;
    Inglewood, California; Jersey City, New Jersey; Memphis, Tennessee;
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin; New York, New York; Richmond, Virginia; Salinas,
    California; Seattle, Washington; San Antonio, Texas; St. Louis,
    Missouri; and Washington, D.C.
        In addition, you should work with local, State, and Federal law
    enforcement in each of these cities to ensure that all crime guns seized
    in their cities are traced and to develop joint investigative and
    prosecutorial strategies to combat the problem of illegal gun
    trafficking. Your efforts should build upon existing partnership
    programs with State and local law enforcement officers, such as the
    Anti-Violent Crime Initiative.
        You should jointly report to me in writing by August 8, 1997, on the
    first-year accomplishments of this project.

                                                          William J. Clinton