July 12, 2022
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed Steven Dettelbach as the permanent director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF):
“The confirmation of Steven Dettelbach as the permanent director of the ATF represents a significant step forward in our fight to dam one of the rivers leading to the sea of gun violence.
“In just the first six months of this year, the NYPD has taken more than 3,700 guns off the street, but guns keep flowing into our city — leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.
“For more than seven years, the ATF has been deprived of a permanent director, and I applaud the U.S. Senate for finally filling this critical position with a highly qualified individual. On the heels of the bipartisan gun safety law that President Biden signed last month, this vote shows that we can make progress against this national crisis.
“But let’s be clear — this vote alone is not enough. We need the ATF to be aggressive, we need more regulation from Congress, and we need our entire federal government to be focused on addressing this crisis.”
###
