Barr Announces Project Guardian, Oklahoma 2020

Gun violence remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across America. Today, Attorney General William P. Barr is redoubling the government’s commitment to tackling this issue through the launch of Project Guardian.

Project Guardian is a new initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country. The initiative focuses on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes. Attorney General Barr says the project draws on the success of past strategies, such as the ‘Triggerlock’ program, and serves as a complementary effort to the success of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

The initiative emphasizes the importance of using all modern technologies available to law enforcement to promote gun crime intelligence. ‘Building on the success of past programs like Triggerlock, Project Guardian will strengthen our efforts to reduce gun violence by allowing the federal government and our state and local partners to better target offenders who use guns in crimes and those who try to buy guns illegally,’ Attorney General Barr said.

Project Guardian will help the Western District of Oklahoma build on its success in Operation 922, which focuses on gun possession in the context of domestic violence. U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing says the project will allow the federal government and local agencies to work together to keep guns out of the hands of those prohibited under federal law.

Acting Director Regina Lombardo of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) says the ATF has a long history of strong partnerships in the law enforcement community. She adds that the women and men of ATF remain steadfast to their core mission of getting crime guns off of the streets.

Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles: Coordinated Prosecution, Enforcing the Background Check System, Using Modern Technologies, Focusing on High-Risk Offenders, and Enhancing Crime Gun Intelligence.

Coordinated Prosecution will see federal prosecutors and law enforcement coordinating with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who was arrested in possession of a firearm, or is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court.

Enforcing the Background Check System will see United States Attorneys, in consultation with the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in their district, creating new or reviewing existing guidelines for intake and prosecution of federal cases involving false statements made during the acquisition or attempted acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees.

The project will place particular emphasis on individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are prohibited from owning firearms due to mental health issues.

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