Local Spotlight: The Straw Purchase Of Firearms In Philadelphia And Nationwide

Local Spotlight: The Straw Purchase Of Firearms In Philadelphia And Nationwide

By NPR

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) defines the straw purchase of firearms as "purchasing a gun for someone who is prohibited by law from possessing one, or for someone who does not want his or her name associated with the transaction."

City officials have tried to enact tougher policies aimed at curbing the practice but were

Other cities and states have found ways to push back on illegal trafficking. The issue has attracted federal attention, too. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed last summer, stiffened penalties for straw purchasing.

We zoom in on the issue in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, before getting the nationwide picture from the ATF director.

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