LETTER: Oregon should regulate firearm dealers to slow the number of gun-related crimes

Published 9:07 am Tuesday, November 26, 2024

In “Oregon advocacy groups call for state regulation of firearm dealers to curb gun violence” the article highlighted the need for the state to better regulate firearm dealers in order to help reduce gun trafficking, shootings and homicides.

In response, firearm rights attorney Tony Ailello Jr. stated that “It would be unsurprising to find that most firearms used to commit crimes were, at some point, legally purchased.”

In reality, the Alliance’s data shows that a small percentage of Oregon dealers are contributing to many illegal guns on our streets, and this is not true in other states.

For example, in New Jersey, a state that regulates its gun dealers, they have half as many guns on their streets per capita. Further, only 20% of guns used in crimes are coming from dealers, which is a big part of why they have fewer guns.

Clearly, there is a need to help stop the flow of guns, and the report shows part of the problem is the weak regulation of our dealers.

The state should work to implement regulation as soon as possible, as it is critical to stopping the flow of illegal guns in our communities.

And, they should do this in partnership with the many dealers who are responsible firearm sellers, as the report showed that dealers who follow the recommended security, safety and training practices have almost zero firearms later traced to crimes.

Walter Mintkeski

Southeast Portland