HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2007-227 Federal Assault Weapons Ban Re-enactment RESOLUTION NO. 2007-227
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA URGING
THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO RE-ENACT
THE FEDERAL ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN (AWB); PROVIDING FOR
CONFLICTS; FURTHER, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control
and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, "sunset"on September 13, 2004; and
WHEREAS, the criminal investigations chief of the Orange County, Florida, Sheriffs'
Department, says deputies are now "frequently" encountering assault weapons in local robberies
and during simple traffic stops; and
WHEREAS, available studies suggest that attacks with such weapons equipped with
large capacity magazines result in more shots fired, more persons hit, and more wounds inflicted
per victim than do attacks with other firearms; and
WHEREAS, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence examined the impact of the
Assault Weapons Ban in a 2004 report, which found that "since the law's enactment assault
weapons have made up only 1.61% of the guns ATF has traced to crime — a drop of 66% from
the pre-ban rate" and that the Act prevented 60,000 assault weapon crimes over its 10-year
period; and
WHEREAS, among the many law enforcement organizations that supported the ban are
the Law Enforcement Steering Committee, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriffs'
Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major City Chiefs
Association, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, the National Association of Police
Organizations, the Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association, the National Black
Police Association, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the Police
Executive Research Forum and the Police Foundation; and
WHEREAS, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, assault
weapons are "nothing more than `cop-killer guns"'; and
WHEREAS, several members of the South Florida law enforcement community have
been injured in the line of duty, or murdered within the past twelve to eighteen months as a result
of such weapons;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA:
Section 1. That the City Commission of the City of Dania Beach urges the members
of the United States Congress to support the reenactment of the AWB, as proposed in HR 1022
sponsored by Representative Carolyn McCarthy of New York.
Section 2. That the City Commission also urges the members of the Florida
Legislature to consider the enactment of such a ban within the State of Florida, similar to the
legislation adopted by the states of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts,
New Jersey and New York.
Section 3. That the City Clerk is directed to distribute certified copies of this
Resolution to U.S. Senators Nelson and Martinez, as well as to members of the U.S. House of
Representatives whose Districts include Broward County, and to the members of the Broward
County Legislative Delegation.
Section 4. That all resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict with this Resolution
are repealed to the extent of such conflict.
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Section 5. That this Resolution shall be in force and take effect immediately upon its
passage and adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED on November 13, 2007.
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MAY R-C MMISSIONER
ATTEST; ^ .�
LOUISE STILSON, CMC
CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO F77r
D CORRECTNESS
BY:
THO AS J. N
CITY ATTORNEY
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