U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “A new federal strike force launched by the U.S. Justice Department on Thursday will focus on disrupting the illegal flow of weapons into Los Angeles from neighboring states while also going after makers of local ‘ghost guns,’ according to local and federal authorities,” The Los Angeles Times parroted Thursday. “Both sources of weapons are a major driver of violence within L.A., and local officials hope their disruption will help stem the city’s increasing levels of shootings and homicides.”
Evidently, the Giffords Law Center’s “A” rating for California does not produce results commensurate with the grade. All those infringements that promised such solutions and things are still out of control…
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore, a politically dependent career “Only One,” doesn’t have a clue on how to stop the signal, but did come up with an excuse that allowed him to point fingers and blame states that haven’t yet enacted California’s “strongest gun laws in the United States.” Arizona, Nevada, and Utah are to blame, the chief blathers:
“Suspects go to those locations,” Moore said, “buy those weapons because of lax or permissive gun laws and then traffic those weapons here and sell them to the market of people who are not lawfully able to own or possess or purchase a weapon.”
For some reason, Chief Moore and The Times neglect to mention that all that is already against the “lax and permissive” law. At least the chief admits the FFLs aren’t the problem:
“It will be less likely to focus on federal firearm licensees known to be selling weapons in the L.A. area, Moore said, because ‘there’s a finite number of them in this region, they’re well policed, they’re well managed, [and] they’re well supervised by ATF and frankly by our gun detail.’”
So he and the feds are going after “underground providers.”
Good luck with that. Especially since criminal cartels take full advantage of California “sanctuary” policies, something you’d think The Times would be able to connect dots on.
Who thinks things will get more or less dangerous? Has anyone factored in the expansion of ruthless criminal enterprises under Prohibition and the War on Drugs, along with the growth of “official” corruption and corresponding abuses of civil liberties in the name of fighting crime?
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, for his part, has taken a (short) break from blaming societal dangers on “white supremacists” to warn against “guns found at crime scenes [that] come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. We are redoubling our efforts as ATF works with law enforcement to track the movement of illegal firearms used in violent crimes.”
Perhaps if he’d review ATF’s data, he’d be able to explain why California’s 11.10-year time-to-crime average (defined by ATF as “the period of time … between the first retail sale of a firearm and a law enforcement recovery of that firearm during a use, or suspected use, in a crime”) warrants front-and-center priority. Then again, he doesn’t have to because no one in the DSM (Duranty/Streicher Media) cares, assuming they’re even aware.
For that matter, who has figures on homicides solved because police were able to trace a gun found at a crime scene to its original lawful purchaser?
That’s not to say everything being proposed is old stuff that’s already been tried and proven ineffective. There’s a new factor to blame thanks to Chicom wet markets and/or lab leaks:
“Shootings and homicides have surged nationally since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year and the associated social and economic shutdowns. L.A. has been no exception. As of Tuesday, homicides were up nearly 30% over last year, and shootings were up 43%. The city ended 2020 with 350 homicides, the most in a decade.”
Funny thing, though. If the critical factor here was guns, why haven’t there been headlines about shooting surges by any of the 5-million members of the NRA, arguably the most heavily armed civilian population on the planet? Weren’t they subject to the same “pandemic” restrictions and economic losses as everyone else? Could it mean it’s not about the guns at all, and pretending that it is for political reasons is either insanity and/or scripted fraud for something everybody involved knows will do nothing but pour money down a hole?
Here’s a clue:
“Moore said the initiative wouldn’t ‘change the entire course of the world,’ as the LAPD and other agencies already work with the ATF on such investigations, but would add strength to those efforts.”
So, like always, he knows this latest round of posturing won’t work and is but another in an endless cycle of boondoggles designed to make it look like government has a handle on things, when in fact, government policies are at the heart of why things are so screwed up.
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the familiar definition of insanity. The violence monopolists are seizing on this to outlaw home builds on guns, to press for universal registration, and to expand the number of due process-denying disqualifiers subject to gun confiscation. Not that those slow the predators down. The shooting/homicide “surge” will continue, and don’t be surprised to see it increase in turf wars over a lucrative black market that will only expand under policies that meet that definition.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
Beetlejuice in Chiraq blames Indiana for all the firearms there. Yet according to the latest numbers Illinois sold 4 times as many firearms in 2020 as Indiana. 4+ million in Illinois compared to just over 1 million in Indiana. None of these places will ever get crime under control until they admit they have a Criminal Problem, not a firearm problem and deal with them in the strictest way imaginable.Including No Bail and the death penalty for violent and repeat offenders completed within 5 years of sentencing. Which is unlikely to happen since Democrat are about creating problems then promising… Read more »
Dark – not just Indiana, remember a while back she claimed that there was in essence an ‘iron river’ of guns making their way UP the Mississippi and then into shykongo. Never cited any specifics as to numbers though. IOW typical democRAT tactic of finger pointing and as you observed refusing to take ANY blame on their own.
“guns found at crime scenes come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.” (The horror! The horror!)
I have a rifle that came all the way from Israel 30 years ago, but it hasn’t killed anyone… YET! (Be afraid! Be very afraid!)
I’d better check on my Chinese SKS, it might be a “sleeper”…
The LAPD police chief is just another example of why California is known as “the land of nuts and fruits”
If they were really interested in stopping crime they’d be “disrupting the flow” of illegal aliens. Stupid is as stupid does.
Most of those illegal guns in LA most likely came from Fast and furious. Barrack and Eric put those illegal guns on the streets with GUN WALKING in LA but they will never own it . Just another case of criminals supplying other criminals with illegal firearms. I say hold Barrack and Joe and Eric accountable for thier illegal gun trafficking !
It seems that all the cities and states with the most restrictive gun laws have the most crime. All run by Democrats, “me thinks what they’re doing isn’t working”. Yes, the bad grammar “me” is intentional.
I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Your “bad grammar” obviously stems from a familiarity with Shakespeare (Hamlet) and is indicative more of being well read than lacking in grammatical skills.
lol… actually, back in medieval english, “methinks” was all one word.
Yup. And thus Will used current vernacular, as he was wont to do.
Criminals watch the news, so good luck with this. Also from a buddy who is a cop in an urban area of NJ – the entire state maybe picks up 20 unserialized guns a year and mentioned it is almost impossible to catch gun runners since they are incredibly smart and work outside the norm. One funny thing he mentioned is that the average gun found at a crime scene or on a criminal is a 90’s era Glock that has probably been used in dozens of crimes and gets passed/traded around the gangmembers.
As usual the libs have it bass ackwards. History has proven that gun ownership does not produce crime until that gun is in the hands of a criminal. The hot spot for gun crime in the US right now is chicago, which has some of the “strongest” gun laws in the country. ~100 people there shot every week. Anti crime resources are needed there, not anti gun.
Dimms: “this is why we need a guy like Chipman running the BATFE, and we need him confirmed now!” Maybe these idiots running the clown show, both locally and federally, should spend our tax dollars solving real problems instead of following the communist talking points of Biden’s teleprompter.
They completely refuse to mention why the large democrat-run cities of California have so many shootings, but the republican-run areas do not. Simply put, shootings are a cultural phenomenon in America. The urban culture of gang-based nihilism, and the imported illegal alien culture of gang-based racial purity (“la raza,” or “THE race”) are responsible for virtually all of the shootings. Also, I defy them to show me a crime committed with a “ghost gun.”
The two LASO deputies ambushed last year were shot with a Ghost Gun.
And how many were shot with serial numbered guns?
Here’s a thought: Maybe we should ban shooting people.
so they caught the perp and he confirmed that he built it or knows that it was built without a serial number? don’t recall hearing this on the news.
No such thing. Ghost isn’t a manufacturer, nor a legit style of weapon, but a made up term of propaganda.
They may have been shot by a home assembled gun. Or a kit gun.
Don’t forget the term “ghost gun” also includes those old enough to not have a serial number and those on which serial number has been obliterated.
In what world does it matter whether a murder is committed with a stolen tool versus a homemade tool? I doubt it matters to the deceased or to investigators.
“Ghost gun” is more of a political term than an actual firearm category. Not all that dissimilar to “assault weapon” and for many of the same reasons. A “ghost gun” is made by someone other than a recognized manufacturer, is untraceable, has no serial number, or has some combination of more than one of the above.
One estimate of the number of firearms that could be called “ghost guns” by the above, non-definition was as high as 80% of the world’s existing stock.
No mention either of the year long string of violent protests, for which no one was held accountable via law enforcement, prosecutors or courts. Think that doesn’t enter into the minds of criminals and whether or not they’ll commit certain crimes?
As predicted, the goal is to weaken local law enforcement, watch crime surge, then request “help” from a federal level — setting the stage for a consolidated government.
One would think I would get tired of saying “I told you so” all the time. But, I’m used to it.
Yes, one might even think we need a national police force as opposed to local local police forces. At least that is what Barry whispered in my ear interrupting a good dream.
Well, most of our wonderful “local” police forces can’t wait to turn themselves into de facto federal forces, grubbing for money from their federal “partners”, blocking any accountability for helping federales enforce unconstitutional gun controls – as every single Wyoming Sheriff did to torpedo a 2A Sanctuary bill that had teeth in favor of the toothless symbolic one.
Isn’t that the responsibility and duty of, “WE, The People” of Wyoming to dictate wether or not THEY want a Sanctuary State?
Sure you’re a grunt? More like Captain Obvious.
Yes, the decision shouldn’t be made by corrupt federalized sheriffs.
Funny, I work gun shows here in Northwestern Arizona for the Arizona Citizens Defense League and my Antique and Curio collectors groups. I watch transactions happen all day at these gun shows and talk with hundreds of people. I talk with hundreds of Californians who longingly come to our shows looking at all of the prohibited goods that they cannot buy. The magic words can be heard as a low drone all day: “Arizona ID or CCW please.” Foreigners from the blue utopias on the coast come talk with me about AZ gun law and comparisons between their progressive utopias… Read more »
Exactly! And what happened to Barbara Boxer?
Here is a DuckDuckGo search for “barbara boxer assaulted and robbed”:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=barbara+boxer+assaulted+and+robbed&atb=v256-1&ia=web
Mugged and robbed by “a mostly peaceful oppressed victim of racism” criminal.
LOL
“Peaceful Protester”
Sic semper tyrannis.
Don’t be too smug about your “free republic”. Arizona Rs elected corrupt RINOs like McCain, Flake & Kyl for decades, a corrupt RINO governor, a corrupt RINO AG & a number of corrupt RINO legislators. Your Rs did NOTHING about election fraud until it was too late, so you now have a nearly split legislature & a federal coup d’etat – Presidency & commie-libs in both Arizona US senate seats (counting the fraud in 2018 which Rs did NOTHING about). But you think everything’s peachy, long as you have “Constitutional Carry” & “2A Sanctuary” — the meat they toss to… Read more »
Californians may be politically active but they sure are not conservative. The State of California is ultra-liberal. Even the residents who claim to be conservative are, in reality, moderates with liberal leanings which is a very apt reason for the situation in California over the last 30 years. Arizona used to be an ultra-conservative state but that has changed over the years. Ultra-liberals from all over the country vacationed in Arizona and said it was where they were going to retire. They did, dropped the political ratio to 50/50 or less and that is how scoundrels like McCain, Flake, et.al.… Read more »
“The State of California is ultra-liberal.” Thanks, Captain Obvious! “Californians may be politically active but they sure are not conservative.” It’s stupid to lump all Calis together like a uniform species. “Even the residents who claim to be conservative are, in reality, moderates with liberal leanings.” You have no clue what you’re on about. I’m still in Cali and it’s already clear I’m far more conservative than you. AZ’s move to purple has as much to do with “cheap labor” invasion, anchor-baby fast-breeding, amnesty & mass legal immigration as it does with natural born citizens fleeing Cali. Of course, “cheap… Read more »
Kelly is going to vote for Chipman.
What have Sinema’s staffers told you when you called her office?
AZCDL Hobbits needn’t call Sinema let alone Tester or Manchin. Why bother? They’re in The Shire. Safe forever!
what, you’re serious? i heard from barry that it was easier to get a firearm than check out a library book or vote.
OOH RAH
If those overpaid dweebs in LA, and DC as well, want to know HOW to “end the shooings”, they need to first consider a few things. Let’s start with the lawbreaking “sanctuary cities” and counties.. these are sheltered hot spots for millions of individual undoicumented foreign invaders to stay, immune to any prosecution. In short, being trained that “the law” in places like California is non-existent. I find it amusing that LA COunty have denied Fed access when it comes to accosting and removing criminal invaders, yet INVITES a different segment of those same Feds to come in and play… Read more »
Well? Doesn’t this just dump over their apple cart?
Man convicted of murdering border agent in case that revealed ‘Fast and Furious’ operation
The murder shed light on an operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy guns with plan to track them to criminal organizations, but the ATF lost track of most of the firearms.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-convicted-murdering-border-agent-case-revealed-fast-furious-operation-n970876
more proof one does not need a degree in intelligence to be a Politician.
This article is typical pro criminal bullshit
Excellent projection, Comrade!
Or you are a petty tyrant authoritarian cuck…
AND —- the CRIMINALS, for the most part belong to the DemoKKKrat party. Obozo’s civilian army.
Which paragraph or sentence, even, is pro-criminal? Which rights do you believe in infringing upon to “stop crime”? Maybe be we should start with your First Amendment rights. We know it will work as well as all the “gun control” laws, but at least we won’t have to read your petulant post about the pro-criminal stance of a story that points out the obvious about “gun control”. Over 100 years later, our “War on Drugs” has yet to stop the opium trade – illegal everywhere in the USA, but you believe “gun control” will work?
our “War on Drugs” has yet to stop the opium trade fact is, our very own CIA are who established not only the grow but the process and export phases of thattrade fromAfghanistan decades back. They wanted to create a “legel” means of financing the Taliban. That trade has grown exponentially since then, and now with us “out” of Afgnhanistan (excepting, of course, for a “few” operatives left behind to contiue stirring that black pot) the trade will not be diminished by as much as three nanogrammes of product. Chnia have now been heavily involved (as they have been for… Read more »
When “law enforcement” acts against the letter and spirit of the highest law of the land, anyone acting in good faith becomes a “criminal.” So yes, since I advocate that these officials be brought up on charges of treason, and I advocate that the people of this nation are free and possess Creator-granted, certain, and unalienable rights, and since I advocate the position that we are not beholden to these corrupt, criminal tyrants or their whims, I am indeed “pro-criminal.”
What does that make you? A sycophant.