Police group pushes for new gun laws as crime overshadows election campaign

A group of law enforcement officials on Tuesday touted the formation of a new organization to support candidates in federal election campaigns, arguing that Congress has not done enough to protect public safety.

The announcement followed new crime statistics that the White House said showed the effectiveness of President Joe Biden’s policies, during an election campaign in which public perceptions of crime are seen as a tool for Republicans to win seats in Congress.

The new group, Police Leaders for Community Safety, will advocate for stricter gun laws, including closing loopholes, requiring background checks for gun buyers and cracking down on “ghost guns.” It will also support the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“Our organization was founded by prominent police leaders from across the country who are tired of taking important actions that we know save lives and make us all safer,” said Susan Riseling, the group’s board chair, who served as police chief and assistant vice chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The group said it is nonpartisan but also wants to support candidates, and focusing on stricter gun laws is a position more commonly held by Democrats. Biden also addressed that position separately on Tuesday.

Biden praised anti-gun activists at an event in Washington hosted by the group Everytown for Gun Safety, saying together they have helped launch a movement to help turn the cause into action. And he sang the praises of a key voting bloc.

“Especially young people who have demanded more from our country. … You protested, you organized, you voted, you ran for office, and yes, you marched for your lives. From my perspective, today is about celebrating you,” Biden said.

Biden’s comments came hours after a jury found his son Hunter Biden guilty on three counts related to lying on a gun permit. He did not address the case in his speech.

Biden, however, said that the event’s participants had helped reduce violent crime. Some Republican lawmakers and conservative media have for months described major U.S. cities as plagued by crime and as a reason why voters should reject Democrats. The White House and Biden’s campaign team have presented federal data in recent days that prove the opposite.

“Last year we saw the largest decline in the murder rate in history,” he said. “Last year we also had one of the lowest violent crime rates in nearly 50 years.”

Decrease in violent crime

It appears that violent crime continues to decline. The FBI announced Monday that the number of reported violent crimes nationwide fell 15 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2023. Overall, reported murders fell by more than 26 percent, rapes by more than 25 percent, robberies by more than 17 percent and aggravated assaults by 12 percent, according to FBI statistics.

The Biden administration praised the cut in a statement Monday, citing law enforcement funding under the 2021 Pandemic Recovery Act and changes brought about by a 2022 gun violence bill.

The decline in the first quarter of 2024, according to FBI statistics, continues after a smaller 5 percent decline in all violent crimes in the last quarter of 2023 compared to the last quarter of 2022. At the time, the Biden administration described this decline as a nearly 50-year low in reported violent crime.

However, research by Gallup and others has shown that there is a discrepancy between actual crime data and Americans’ perceptions of crime. Although crime fell from a pandemic high in 2023, 77 percent of respondents to a Gallup poll said there was more crime this year than the year before.

A Republican strategist in the House said much of Republicans’ messaging on crime this year will likely be geared toward blaming Biden and Democrats for the border crisis. The focus on crime could continue to matter in New York, where Republicans won several House seats that helped them secure control in 2022, as well as in other areas seeing a surge in migrant numbers, such as Colorado.

Even though statistics show a decline in crime, anti-crime awareness campaigns can still be effective if people do not feel safe in their community, the strategist said.

The new group, led by former police officers, many of whom also serve as consultants or lecturers, said it plans to accept donations from the public in the future and will support candidates in federal elections whose policy positions align with theirs.

Dave Mahoney, treasurer of the group, said during a news conference that a committee is working on a process to evaluate candidates and review endorsement proposals that will be implemented soon. He did not reveal in detail what type of endorsement the candidates backed by the group will receive.

Dan Oates, who was police chief in Aurora, Colorado, in July 2012 when a gunman killed 12 people in a movie theater, said Congress had “failed to enact common sense regulations to control these guns.” He disagreed with those who say new restrictions would violate the Second Amendment.

“Our organization strongly supports the Constitution and all of its amendments,” Oates said. “We also know that there are precedents and legal tools to ensure appropriate regulations and restrictions on military assault rifles.”

John T. Bennett and Michael Macagnone contributed to this report.