Obama: Important To Listen To Law Enforcement In Gun Debate

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Ahead of a meeting with police chiefs and sheriffs Monday, President Obama emphasized the importance of listening to law enforcement officials in the ongoing debate over gun control. 

“No group is more important for us to listen to than our law enforcement officials,” Obama said at the White House. “They’re where the rubber hits the road.” Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are meeting with the police chiefs of Aurora, Colo.; Oak Creek, Wis.; and Newtown, Conn. Officials from the Major Cities Chiefs Association and Major County Sheriffs Association were also in attendance.

“I welcome this opportunity to work with them, to hear their views, in terms of what would make the biggest difference to prevent something like Newtown or Oak Creek from happening again,” Obama said. “But many of them also recognize that it’s not only the high-profile mass shootings that are of concern here. It’s also what happens on a day in, day out basis in places like Chicago or Philadelphia, where young people are victims of gun violence every single day.

Obama repeated his call for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, adding that his initiatives to reduce gun violence will be most effective with the cooperation of Congress.

(Photo: Ron Sachs – Pool via CNP/Newscom)

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