Public access to gun trace data--the information law enforcement uses to track firearms from manufacturer to the retail purchaser--is advocated by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and gun control organizations, while being vigorously opposed by law enforcement. The so-called Tiahrt Amendment, named for its sponsor, Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kans.), restricts solely to law enforcement access to and use of this sensitive crime-fighting data that is maintained by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Congress took this important measure because public disclosure and misuse of the data can interfere with ongoing criminal investigations and jeopardize the lives of law enforcement and witnesses.
Read Original at: The Hill