Opposition to Remove Silencers (Suppressors) from the National Firearms Act of 1934

Submitted by: Firearms Committee

FC.026.t2017

WHEREAS, since 1934, silencers (suppressors) have been registered under the National Firearms Act. The National Firearms Act describes silencers (suppressors) as devices for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearms, including any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for the use in assembling or fabricating a firearm silencers or firearm muffler, any part intended for use in such assembly or fabrication; and

WHEREAS, to acquire a silencer(suppressors), the National Firearms Act requires an individual to pay a $200 tax, pass a background check, register the silencer and submit fingerprints and a photograph to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and

WHEREAS, the National Firearms Act has effectively regulated silencers (suppressors) for over 80 years and they are rarely trafficked or used in crimes. In rare incidents where criminals have used silencers (suppressors) to alter or diminish the sound of gunfire, the results have been deadly; and

WHEREAS, the proliferation of silencers (suppressors) undermines the ability of gunshot detection technology, which is widely used in American cities, to alert law enforcement and first responders to shootings in the community; and

WHEREAS, silencers (suppressors) prevent police officers from quickly and effectively responding to active shooters, as silencers (suppressors) make it harder to recognize the sound of gunfire and mask muzzle flash, making it more difficult to locate and engage armed offenders; and

WHEREAS, firearms-related deaths were the number one cause of death for law enforcement in 2016 and law enforcement officers are particularly vulnerable to ambush-style killings, silencers (suppressors) are a particular threat to the security of our nation's law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, if silencers (suppressors) were deregulated from the National Firearms Act, individuals prohibited under federal law from owning silencers (suppressors) could easily acquire them without a background check and harm law enforcement and our communities; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police opposes any efforts to remove silencers (suppressors) from the purview of the National Firearms Act, recognizing how this action would undermine the security of law enforcement and the safety of the public.