[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