Village President Sheena Collum with Rabbi Jesse Olitzky, a representative of Moms Demand Action, and Village Trustees Steve Schnall, Deborah Davis Ford, Walter Clarke, Mark Rosner, Jeff DuBowy and Howard Levison.
Upon the invitation of Rabbi Jesse Olitzky of Congregation Beth El, South Orange Village President Sheena Collum tonight signed a pledge to join Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
Olitzky noted that many of Collum’s mayoral colleagues in surrounding towns — including Maplewood Mayor Vic DeLuca — have signed the pledge. Collum thanked Olitzky for bringing the pledge to her attention and noted that she had done her due diligence on the organization and had consulted South Orange Police in supporting Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
The pledge reads as follows:
Whereas: 30,000 Americans across the country are killed every years as a result of gun violence — including 12,000 who are murdered — destroying families and communities in big cities and small towns; and
Whereas: As Mayors, we are duty-bound to do everything in our power to protect our residents, especially our children, from harm, and there is no greater threat to public safety than the threat of illegal guns;
Now, therefore, we resolve to work together to find innovative new ways to advance the following principles:
PUNISH — to the maximum extent of the law — criminals who possess, use, and traffic in illegal guns.
TARGET and hold accountable irresponsible gun dealers who break the law by knowingly selling guns to straw purchasers.
EXTEND background check requirements to all gun sales, including the private sales that take place between strangers online and at gun shows
OPPOSE all federal efforts to restrict cities’ right to access, use, and share trace data that is so essential to effective enforcement, or to interfere with the ability of the Bureau of alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to combat illegal gun trafficking.
WORK to develop and use technologies that aid in the detection and tracing of illegal guns.
SUPPORT all local, state, and federal legislation that targets illegal guns; coordinate legislative, enforcement, and litigation strategies; and share information and best practices.
INVITE other cities to join us in this national effort.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Pledge
