The Alliance for a Safe Oregon Calls for Tighter Firearms Dealer Controls
The Alliance for a Safe Oregon wants the state to tighten control of firearms dealers.
The Nonprofit Wants State-Level Policies
The organization says Oregon should adopt state-level gun dealer licensing policies, a move adopted by other states.
The policies should include background checks of employees involved in gun sales, inspections, secure storage practices, and the use of security cameras at the point of sale to reduce violence, reduce gun trafficking, and deter theft.
According to a report by the Alliance of Oregon, guns were often recovered within 25 miles of where they were bought and, in Oregon, of the 26,046 firearms recovered in crimes between 2017 and 2021, 75% were bought in straw gun transactions or stolen from local dealers.
Straw gun purchases are when legal buyers purchase a firearm for someone legally prohibited from owning a gun.
The need for tighter gun control was underscored by statistics.
Control of Federal Licensed Firearms Dealers is Slack
The report states that control of federally licensed firearms dealers is slack, with ATF inspections taking place only once every 10 years, on average.
In the U.S., there are 135,000 federal firearms license holders, including between 75,000- and 80,000 gun dealers, manufacturers, and pawn shops.
In 2023, less than 8,700 compliance inspections were conducted by the ATF, with less than 2% revocations of federal firearm licenses, according to Josh Scharff, general counsel for the nonprofit, Brady-United Against Gun Violence.
Scharff added that the ATF lacks the authority or the resources to handle violations of the law by firearms dealers.
Most guns used for criminal activities are stolen from private homes, vehicles, and other people, according to a report by the ATF.
Oregon Measure 114
The report by the Alliance for a Safe Oregon follows shortly after state lawyers asked the Oregon Court of Appeals to allow Measure 114 to become effective. Measure 114 was passed two years ago with a 50.7% state vote to limit firearms magazine capacity to 10 or less rounds. Gun purchases require a permit after completing a criminal background check.
The Alliance states that the introduction of Measure 114 will not restrict the right to bear arms for self-defense and will promote public safety.
Measure 114 is on ice following a Harney County judge ruling in 2022 that the requirement to obtain a permit and the ban on large-capacity gun magazines violated the Oregon Constitution.