UPDATE: President Obama has signed new FY 2010 appropriations language into law, which restores full access to crime gun trace data for state and local law enforcement. However, the Tiahrt Amendments continue to restrict what state and local law enforcement can do with trace data they have gathered.
Tell Congress it's time to protect police, not the criminals.
Since 2003, the Tiahrt Amendments have made it more difficult for law enforcement to go after illegal gun traffickers. Use our tool to tell your members of Congress that it’s time to give police the tools they need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.
Hear Patricia’s story
Patricia Tucker's husband, Mark, was killed with an illegal gun. He was an Investigator in the Wake County, NC Sheriff’s office. Read about Patricia’s Story (PDF). For more facts about the video… click here.
Do the Tiahrt Amendments Help Arm Drug Cartels?
The ATF reports that more than 90% of guns recovered and traced from Mexican drug war crime scenes originate from gun dealers in the United States. Learn how the Tiahrt Amendments are aiding the traffickers and adding fuel to the fire.
Go to Protectpolice.org’s Mexican Drug War page
What are the Tiahrt Amendments?
The “Tiahrt Amendment” is named for its original sponsor, U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-KS). The Tiahrt Amendment is a provision that members of Congress have tucked into federal spending bills that
- block state and local police from having full access to ATF crime gun trace data,
- require FBI to destroy certain background check records after just 24 hours, and
- prevent ATF from requiring gun dealers to physically check their inventories on a regular basis.
