NYPD Encouraged By Biden's Executive Orders Addressing 'Ghost Guns'; NRA Vows To 'Stand And Fight' Regulations
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- President Joe Biden revealed new executive orders Thursday morning in the Rose Garden with families of gun violence victims, including those of some of the children killed in the Sandy Hook massacre.
The measures include tightening regulations on untraceable "ghost guns" -- self-assembled weapons sold online.
The orders also put restrictions on stabilizing braces that allow pistols to serve as short-barreled rifles.
So what, if any, impact will these moves have on the rampant gun violence in New York City?
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"This is an epidemic for God's sake and it has to stop," Biden said.
The tighter restrictions on ghost guns is of very high interest to the leaders of NYPD, CBS2's Dave Carlin reported.
"We have seen them prevalent in every borough of New York City," Deputy Inspector Courtney Nilan said.
Nilan is coordinator of the Department's Intelligence Bureau, which reports seeing more and more ghost guns.
In 2020, more than 120 of them were recovered by police.
"Ghost guns do not have serial numbers on them," Nilan said. "If they are used in a crime, it's very hard on the investigation."
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Now, the feds will require background checks in order to buy them. The Biden administration also announced it will tighten regulations on stabilizing braces for pistols, devices that effectively allow pistols to operate as short-barreled rifles.
Police, prosecutors and elected officials in New York City said they are grateful for the promise of more funding and resources for violence interrupters and other intervention programs, Carlin reported.
The Biden administration pledged to support community Cure Violence programs, which Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz calls crucial.
"It has to be a public health approach. Not only do we get the guns off the street, but make sure the next generation just doesn't pick the same ones up and move forward with that," Katz said.
"Any assistance we can get from the federal government to help shore up these loopholes," Nilan added.
The National Rifle Association called the Biden administration gun control actions extreme, adding they will cause law-abiding citizens to surrender lawful property and the NRA is ready to fight.
The president also issued guidelines to make it easier for states to adopt the "Red Flag" law, which allows courts to block people who could be a danger to themselves or others from getting a gun. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut already have similar laws in place.
