Wellesley Police Chief, Law Enforcement Professionals Call on Congress to Enact Gun Control

Yesterday, Mr. Cunningham went to Washington. Correction: Chief Cunningham went to Washington.

Wellesley Police Chief Terrence Cunningham, speaking as Vice President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), joined a number of other law enforcement officers in Washington, DC. The group was calling on Congress to enact several gun control measures. 

In the D.C. press conference yesterday, Cunningham said, “In the years since the terrorist attacks of 2001, over 300,000 American lives have been lost to gun violence. That is more than 70 lives a days. 70 families that have been devastated by the loss of loved one. A parent deprived of their son or daughter, a spouse deprived of their partner or a child deprived of their parent.“

A number of representatives came together for a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to call on congress to, according to a press release,

• Require background checks on all firearm purchases;
• Add disqualifying records on prohibited firearms purchasers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
• Ban new semi-automatic assault weapons
• Limit high-capacity ammunition magazines to ten rounds

"The IACP believes that these proposals and actions reflect an effective, balanced approach to addressing the plague of gun violence in our communities and nation,”  said Chief Terry Cunningham. 

IACP was one of several organizations involved in the conference. The coalition included members from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association, International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, Major Cities Chiefs Association, National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Police Executive Research Forum and the Police Foundation.

The Wellesley Police Chief met with.

Below are Chief Cunningham's remarks, sent by the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence:

Good afternoon. 

I am proud to be here this afternoon to discuss an issue that is a top priority for the law enforcement community and certainly for the International Association of Chiefs of Police: reducing gun violence. 

The persistent, pervasive and destructive problem of gun violence impacts communities like mine across the United States on a daily basis. Ranging from random shootings and suicides to retaliatory assaults and targeted mass killings, violence committed with firearms universally challenges law enforcement and taxes our resources; however, more importantly it destroys thousands of lives and families. 

Our membership was, and remains, a leading proponent of the ban on military style assault weapons, high capacity magazines, the need for universal background checks, ensuring the ATF has a permanent director, and other common sense measures that have, and will if adopted, reduce the level of gun violence in our Nation.  As police chiefs, it is our duty to protect and serve our communities and display the leadership needed to ensure public safety. That is why today, I am happy to stand here with my colleagues from across the country to demand action.   

The IACP believes that these proposals and actions reflect an effective, balanced approach to addressing the plague of gun violence in our communities and nation. As this process moves forward, the IACP will continue to work with the Administration, members of Congress, and public safety leaders across the country to enact these much needed reforms.  

Gun violence directly impacts our children, our schools, our neighborhoods and all of our communities.  Although we may never be able to prevent every gun related tragedy, as professional law enforcement executives that has to be our goal.  

In the years since the terrorist attacks of 2001, over 300,000 American lives have been lost to gun violence.  That is more than 70 lives a days.  70 families that have been devastated by the loss of loved one. A parent deprived of their son or daughter, a spouse deprived of their partner or a child deprived of their parent. We are clearly facing a crisis. Now is the time to act. 

Thank you.