From CeaseFirePA (http://www.ceasefirepa.org):
More than 100 kids have been shot in Philadelphia this year. They were playing on their porches and playgrounds. Gun violence with pistols and assault weapons is ushering in a surge of gun violence unseen in a decade in Philadelphia.¹
Where are the guns coming from?
Data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) could help answer this question, pointing towards new solutions to the deadly violence plaguing our community. Yet, Philadelphia City Council is still waiting for the information despite a request over a week ago.
Will you join in the call for data on the source of guns driving this violence? Sign the letter to ATF now at https://ceasefirepa.salsalabs.org/atfdata/index.html.
Is it legal gun purchases being used in the recent spat of violence? Weapons that were lost or stolen? People who received a firearm due to holes in the background check system? Or, people who shouldn’t have a firearm in the first place? These are some of the questions the ATF data could help answer.
As gun violence has been raging in Philadelphia, City Council conducted emergency hearings to address this crisis. And this question of the source of the flood of guns in the community kept coming up. It is why on the heels of those hearings, City Council members requested the ATF to analyze how guns are flowing through Philadelphia so they have better data to address this crisis.²
Sign the letter: Tell the ATF we can’t solve the crisis in Philly without access to data.
City Council is trying to address this alarming increase in gun violence and murder with anti-violence initiatives. But making these programs effective can be hard without access to good data and information. The ATF should be partnering with City Council to make their jobs easier.
¹ Aaron Moselle, “When it comes to its gun violence epidemic, Philly is struggling to control the spread”, PBS. August 20, 2020.
²Jack Tomczuk, “Council asks for data on guns”, Philly Metro. August 12, 2020.
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