Firearms Industry and ATF Bring Public Awareness Campaign to Philadelphia to Deter Illegal Purchases of Firearms

"Buy a gun for someone who can't and buy yourself 10 years in jail."

Philadelphia, PA – The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms industry – and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have begun warning residents and visitors to Philadelphia about the illegality and danger of straw purchasing firearms as part of their Don’t Lie for the Other Guy campaign.

Don’t Lie was developed by NSSF and the ATF to raise public awareness that it is a serious crime to purchase a firearm for someone who cannot legally do so or for someone who does not otherwise want his or her name associated with the purchase.  The program is also designed to educate firearms dealers on how to better detect and deter potential straw purchases. The campaign drives home the message that anyone attempting an illegal firearm purchase faces a stiff federal penalty: Buy a gun for someone who can't and buy yourself 10 years in jail.

“ATF takes pride in establishing partnerships with industry members in order to prevent illegal firearms purchases,” said Mark W. Potter, Special Agent in Charge for the Philadelphia Field Division.  “We share a common goal:  attacking violent crime by preventing criminals from obtaining firearms.”

NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane said, "This program has been welcomed by firearms dealers as a valuable educational tool to better enable them to spot would-be straw purchasers and prevent illegal straw purchases.”

Residents and visitors to Philadelphia will see Don't Lie for the Other Guy posters around the city over the course of the next four weeks.

Don't Lie for the Other Guy is a joint program of the ATF, NSSF and the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods.  Funding for the program comes from a grant from the United States Department of Justice.

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Don't Lie for the Other Guy is a joint program of the ATF, NSSF and the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods (a program that according to the ATF's 2005 Annual Report led to a 50 percent drop in firearms related violence during it's first four years, 2001-2005).

Funding for the program comes from a grant for the United States Department of Justice and NSSF. This joint funding provides for program administration, media outreach and ongoing firearm retailer education. ATF will continue to work with retailers in their efforts to identify and deter straw purchases.

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