A new report states that districts containing Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City ranked last in enforcing federal gun laws in 2012.
The report, from Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, shows that the districts of Eastern New York, Central California and Northern Illinois ranked 88th, 89th and 90th, respectively, out of 90, in prosecutions of federal weapons crimes per capita.
U.S. News notes that these cities also have some of the country’s strictest gun laws, as well as the most active mayors in advocating for gun control. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are all members of Mr. Bloomberg’s group, the national Mayors Against Illegal Guns campaign.
The Washington Times reported Wednesday that the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre recently asked NBC host David Gregory why the network doesn’t focus on the poor enforcement of federal gun laws in Chicago.
“Do you know where Chicago ranks in terms of enforcement of the federal gun laws? Out of 90 jurisdictions in the country, they ranked 90th,” Mr. LaPierre said. “Why doesn’t NBC News start with: ’Shocking news on Chicago. Of all the jurisdictions in the country, Chicago’s dead last on enforcement of the federal gun laws?’” he asked. “Why doesn’t the national press corps, when they’re sitting down there with Jay Carney and the president and the vice president, why don’t they say, ’Why is Chicago dead last in enforcement of the gun laws against gangs with guns, felons with guns, drug dealers with guns?’”
Requests by U.S. News for comment from the U.S. Attorney’s offices in New York and California were not immediately returned, but the office in the Northern District of Illinois says the enforcement of federal gun laws are among its top priorities.
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“We have a number of different methods of attacking gangs, guns, drugs and violent crime,” spokesman Randall Sanborn told U.S. News. “We look at which court the defendant is likely to get a substantially greater sentence… More cases that used to be brought federally are now staying in state courts because [they are] now able to get a sentence equally great or greater.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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