U.S. police chiefs call for background checks for all gun purchases [View all]

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U.S. police chiefs call for background checks for all gun purchases

By Fiona Ortiz at Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/27/us-usa-guns-police-idUSKCN0SK2RR20151027

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olice chiefs from across the United States called on Monday for universal background checks for firearms purchases, saying opinion polls consistently show that most Americans support such restrictions.

The proliferation of firearms is one of the factors behind a rise in homicide rates in many U.S. cities this year, according to senior law enforcement officials at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Chicago.

Acknowledging the power of the gun lobby and the reluctance of Congress to enact stricter gun laws, the police chiefs told a news conference they were not anti-gun but wanted to keep weapons out of the hands of people with criminal backgrounds.

Current rules on background checks apply to licensed dealers, but up to 40 percent of firearms sales involve private parties or gun shows and do not require checks, the chiefs said.



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