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ATF & National Shooting Sports Foundation join forces over illegal firearm sales
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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and representatives from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association for the firearms industry -- today jointly announced the return of a major campaign to reduce significantly the illegal straw purchases of firearms in the Rio Grande Valley.
The program, called "Don't Lie for the Other Guy," was developed to raise public awareness that it is a serious crime to purchase a firearm for someone who cannot legally do so or for someone who does not otherwise want his or her name associated with the purchase. The campaign, which is also designed to educate firearms retailers on how to better detect and deter potential straw purchases, was slated to visit the Valley last year, but due to inclement weather the launch was postponed.
The campaign, which has been enhanced to better focus on firearm purchasers, drives home the message that anyone attempting an illegal firearm purchase faces a stiff federal penalty: Buy a gun for someone who can't and buy yourself 10 years in jail.
Special Agent in Charge Dewey Webb of the ATF Houston Field Division said, "The straw purchase of firearms is the first step in illegal firearms trafficking and the first step towards a prison cell. If you illegally purchase a firearm as part of a straw purchase scheme, you are just as responsible as the person who uses that firearm in a crime. ATF will strictly enforce the federal firearms laws to stop and prevent guns from getting into the hands of criminals."
Residents and visitors to the Rio Grande Valley will hear the campaign's strong message via radio and television public service announcements (PSA) over the next month.
NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane said, "This program has been welcomed by firearms retailers as a valuable educational tool to better enable them to spot would-be straw purchasers and prevent illegal straw purchases. Our goal in reaching out to the public is to warn them that they would be committing a serious crime by attempting to purchase a firearm for someone who cannot legally possess one. We applaud and appreciate the support of the ATF for joining with members of our industry in this cooperative effort."
The Don't Lie for the Other Guy program is a vital component of ATF's outreach efforts to educate firearms dealers and their employees on how to better recognize and deter the illegal purchase of firearms through straw purchases. This program is an important tool for ATF to accomplish its mission of reducing violent crime and protecting the public.
The campaign is reaching out to firearms retailers in the Rio Grande Valley and distributing Don't Lie retailer education kits. Each kit contains a training video and brochure for the store owner and staff as well as point-of-purchase displays aimed to deter this illegal activity.
Don't Lie for the Other Guy is a joint program of ATF and NSSF.
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