A New York lawmaker known as on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Thursday to ship extra brokers to Lengthy Island to fight illicit firearm trafficking in Nassau County.
In a letter to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, Rep. Anthony D’Esposito argued that “skyrocketing crime” on Lengthy Island has overwhelmed native legislation enforcement companies and left them unable to deal with investigating the supply of unlawful weapons flooding New York’s 4th Congressional District.
“Simply final 12 months, two people from Georgia have been arrested for trafficking over twenty-five weapons into Nassau County, eleven of which have been discovered on the scene of crimes,” D’Esposito notes in his letter. “That is unacceptable. Gun trafficking into Lengthy Island is detrimental to our communities and we should do every part in our energy to make sure that native legislation enforcement companies are empowered with the sources and instruments they should maintain our communities protected.”
Police in Nassau County seized some 278 unlawful firearms final 12 months, up from a minimum of 195 in 2021 and 183 in 2020.
D’Esposito, a former NYPD detective, believes elevated cooperation between the ATF and Nassau County cops – together with having extra federal brokers in Nassau – might help stem the move of weapons coming into Lengthy Island.
“It’s my understanding that there’s a important disparity between the variety of ATF officers on Lengthy Island and people in New York Metropolis. I’m asking that you simply improve your collaboration with native legislation enforcement companies to help with investigations and fight gun trafficking,” D’Esposito writes.
The Home of Representatives authorised D’Esposito’s pro-law enforcement decision condemning calls to “defund the police” final week in a 268-156 vote that noticed 62 Democrats help the New York pol’s measure.
The decision additionally codified a federal “invoice of rights” for law enforcement officials additionally proposed by D’Esposito.
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