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Sen. Levin [D-MI]: Mr. President, I call the attention of my colleagues to a warning from several major police organizations that a new high powered and easily concealable handgun, known...

Record Text

Sen. Carl Levin [D-MI]: Mr. President, I call the attention of my colleagues to a warning from several major police organizations that a new high powered and easily concealable handgun, known as the Five-Seven, is easily available to potential criminals and poses a significant threat to our Nation's law enforcement officers. The International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives issued the warning late last week.

Belgian firearm manufacturer FN Herstal specializes in military and law enforcement weaponry but has also made its Five-Seven handgun available to private buyers in the United States. The Five-Seven includes a 20-round clip and is capable of firing ammunition that penetrates the body armor commonly worn by law enforcement officials. The FN Herstal Web site boasts that with the Five-Seven handgun, "Enemy personnel, even wearing body armor can be effectively engaged up to 200 meters. Kevlar helmets and vests as well as the CRISAT protection will be penetrated."

These new guns clearly have no sporting purpose and no place on our streets. We should not ignore the concerns of our law enforcement officers with regard to these dangerous weapons.

The law enforcement community is most concerned about the Five-Seven's ability to kill police officers, even while wearing protective body armor. Bernard Thompson, director of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, commented on the Five-Seven, "No one is safe from a weapon like this. Police body armor won't offer protection if a criminal has this pistol."

The legislative director of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Steve Lenkhart called the Five-Seven "an assault rifle that fits in your pocket." A recent memo by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement supports this assertion. The memo reportedly states that the Five-Seven has the capabilities of a carbine or rifle but weighs less than 2 pounds when fully loaded. The FN Herstal Web site lists the overall length of the handgun as only 8.2 inches, making it small enough and light enough to be easily concealed by criminals.

Common sense should tell us that there is no reason for civilians to have access to easily concealable handguns with the capability to shoot through body armor. It is important for our elected officials to listen to the warnings of those who put their lives on the line to help keep violent criminals off of our streets. Unfortunately, the Congress also continues its failure to pass commonsense gun safety legislation that, among other things, would reauthorize the 1994 assault weapons ban, close the gun show loophole, and regulate high-powered .50 caliber sniper rifles. I again urge my colleagues to work to pass sensible gun-safety legislation that will help protect our law enforcement officers, families, and communities from military style firearms like the Five-Seven handgun.