This week Nevada’s largest police group is endorsing a November ballot initiative that if approved, would require background checks in private gun sales. Reno Public Radio’s Anh Gray has more.
By law, a licensed gun dealer is required to run a background check. But private sales are not. Richard McCann with The Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers—or NAPSO—endorses the ballot measure that would close that loophole.
“They have background checks in licensed dealership purchases of firearms throughout the state,” McCann says. “No one seems to have a problem with that, but now we want to extend it to those private sales that may be on the internet or at gun shows.”
McCann says his group of 1,500 law enforcement officers is not opposed to gun rights. Rather, it’s to ensure weapons don’t get into the wrong hands, like those of felons or domestic abusers.
“This is not a political issue,” McCann says. “This is a public safety issue and who better to speak to the issue than those who are employed in the public safety arena.”
There are some exceptions to the measure. Private gun sales between immediate family members or the lending of a firearm for hunting will be exempt.
