Manhattan district attorney works to curb interstate gun trafficking: ‘It’s a national issue’

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Seeks to Address Interstate Gun Trafficking as National Problem.

As gun violence continues to plague the US, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been appointed to help lead Prosecutors Against Gun Violence (PAGV), a bipartisan group of prosecutors dedicated to addressing and preventing gun violence through prosecutions, promoting safe firearm storage, and targeting firearm traffickers. The move comes as President Donald Trump's administration portrays major US cities like Chicago and San Francisco as crime-ridden locales in need of federal intervention.

However, the reality is that many major US cities, including Los Angeles, Memphis, and Philadelphia, are experiencing declining homicide rates. In Manhattan, for example, 39 people have been killed so far this year, compared to 61 at the same point in 2023, according to New York police data.

Bragg's office has taken a proactive approach to addressing gun violence, particularly in high-risk communities. The district attorney's focus on stopping the flow of ghost guns – unregistered firearms made with 3D printers or bought online as kits and assembled at home – has borne fruit. In 2022, Bragg launched legislation to ban the manufacturing of 3D-printed guns, and he has called on YouTube to change its algorithm to prevent gun-building tutorials from appearing.

Bragg believes that prosecutors can play a critical role in addressing gun violence by convicting shooters and targeting individuals who are illegally funneling guns into communities. He also emphasizes the need for collaboration between prosecutors, social workers, and non-profits that provide support services to those affected by gun violence.

Despite the progress made, Bragg's office faces significant financial challenges due to federal funding cuts. In April, the Trump administration canceled over $150m in grant funding to local organizations that provide victim services and mentorship programs for young people responsible for most shooting incidents. The cuts have left many of these groups struggling to maintain operations.

Bragg acknowledges the impact of these cuts but remains hopeful that his peers can learn from each other's approaches to addressing gun violence. "It's about learning and realizing that what we're seeing here is a national issue," he said. "We need to work together to address this problem, which affects communities across the country."

I'm kinda thinking that maybe, just maybe, the thing about DA Bragg's office being broke from federal funding cuts is actually a good thing ... I mean, it forces him and his team to get creative and work with other organizations that can help them out. But at the same time, isn't it true that we should be worried that all these funding cuts are just gonna push more resources to places where they're needed most? Like, shouldn't the fact that some areas are doing better than others (aka cities with declining homicide rates) be a red flag or something?

I'm not sure if Alvin Bragg's appointment to PAGV is really going to make a difference. I mean, have you seen the stats on gun violence in LA and Memphis? They're down, but NYC is still dealing with way more than 39 deaths per year... . And what about these ghost guns? Yeah, that sounds like a real solution, but what about the manufacturing and sale of legit firearms? Are they not being held accountable? Also, the whole thing about YouTube's algorithm change seems kinda shady to me... who exactly is behind this? And $150m in grant funding cuts? That's some harsh stuff. It's easy for him to say we need to work together, but where's the proof that other prosecutors are willing to collaborate on real solutions?

I'm so down for Alvin Bragg tackling interstate gun trafficking like it's a real problem I mean, who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory about cities being crime-ridden? But let's get back to the facts - declining homicide rates in major US cities is something we can all get on board with . And yeah, stopping ghost guns made with 3D printers is a solid move . We need more people like Bragg who aren't afraid to take on the bigger picture and work together to make real change . I wish they could just fix the financial struggles his office is facing though - $150m in grant funding cuts? That's like cutting off a vital organ

Wow Gun violence is such a huge problem in the US right now, but I think it's interesting how some cities are actually seeing declining homicide rates Like, what's going on with Los Angeles and Memphis? They're like, totally opposite of Chicago and San Francisco. And I'm all for Bragg trying to take down ghost gun manufacturers - that stuff is so sketchy

The appointment of Alvin Bragg to lead Prosecutors Against Gun Violence is a welcome move in the fight against gun violence . It's heartening to see a district attorney taking a proactive approach to addressing ghost guns and 3D-printed firearms . However, we must acknowledge that funding cuts from the federal government have put a significant strain on Bragg's office .

I'm not surprised to see the Trump administration downplaying the decline in homicide rates in major US cities . Instead of acknowledging progress, they're framing it as evidence of a need for more federal intervention . But we know that's not the case . What's needed is a coordinated effort between prosecutors, social workers, and non-profits to provide support services to those affected by gun violence .

As Bragg said, "it's about learning and realizing that what we're seeing here is a national issue" . I couldn't agree more . We need to work together to address this problem, which affects communities across the country . By sharing best practices and resources, we can make a real difference in reducing gun violence .

man I'm so hyped for Alvin Bragg's initiative it's amazing how one person can make a real difference in addressing gun violence! and btw it's super inspiring to see him collaborating with other prosecutors, social workers, and non-profits to create a more comprehensive approach to tackling this issue. the fact that his office is focusing on stopping ghost guns is genius , who knew 3D-printed guns were even a thing? anyways I think it's great that he's bringing attention to the importance of collaboration and learning from each other to make progress on this national problem

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Seeks to Address Interstate Gun Trafficking as National Problem

he think prosecutors can play big role in stop gun violence by convictin shooters and targetin individuals who sell guns illegally

but bragg's office facin big challenge 'cause of federal funding cuts

he hop his peers can learn from each other and work together to address this problum

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is on point ! I mean, it's not like Chicago or San Francisco are getting all the attention, but the reality is those cities are actually seeing a decrease in homicides . Meanwhile, NYC is still dealing with 39 deaths this year . The ghost gun thing is super concerning tho . Like, how do we even track these things?

Bragg's approach to stopping the flow of ghost guns and targeting traffickers is a good start . But can he really make a difference with the funding cuts? I mean, $150m ain't chump change . It's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out. Do you think Bragg's bipartisan group will actually get something done ?

I'm getting so tired of all these politicians making it sound like major cities are total chaos Newsflash: just because some cities have higher crime rates than others doesn't mean they're all bad! I live in LA and it's actually getting safer here, but somehow our city is being painted as a mess. And what really gets me is when they say we need "federal intervention" like that's always the answer . Can't we just have some common-sense solutions instead of blaming everyone else? And by the way, can someone explain to me why we can't just get rid of ghost guns altogether? They're basically untraceable and it's only a matter of time before they start falling into the wrong hands . Maybe instead of fighting each other, our leaders should be working together to find solutions .

gun violence in the US is like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole - you think you're making progress but then another one pops up and it's back to square one. anyway, Alvin Bragg seems like a solid dude trying to make a difference, and I'm all for that. the thing is, can't we just have a national conversation about gun control without Trump's administration painting us as "crime-ridden locales"? also, 3D-printed guns are wild - like, who even has the time or resources to make their own guns?

omg i just watched a vlog of a kid making 3d printed guns and it made me think about how some ppl in us are trying to make guns at home like whats gonna stop them? is there even a way to track these ghost guns? i heard some cities r doing cool stuff w/ data analysis and community engagement 2 tackle gun violence but i dont think we can do it alone maybe if ppl from different fields came together, like prosecutors, social workers, and tech folks, we could find a solution