Describing it as a “24/7 field day for felons,” city officials reported yesterday that the Internet has become a prime source for illegal gun sales — and they provided videos from a sting operation to back up the claim.
Mayor Bloomberg singled out Craigslist as the worst offender of 10 sites examined, with 14 of 17 gun sellers failing integrity tests.
“So Craigslist really needs to clean up its act,” the mayor said at City Hall, just two days after the killing of Officer Peter Figoski.
Undercover operatives hired by the city contacted 125 private gun sellers in 14 states. Officials said 77, or 62 percent, agreed to make a sale even after being told the buyer couldn’t pass a federally mandated background check.
One Ohio dealer shrugged off the requirement.
“I don’t know all the letters of the law, but I’m pretty sure if somebody said, ‘I can’t pass a background check,’ you’re not supposed to give it to them. But it’s OK. I would,” the seller said in a video played at City Hall.
Asked if the sting exceeded the city’s authority and spent $290,000 inappropriately, the mayor responded: “Peter Figoski was our police officer. We didn’t overstep anything. If I had to spend double that money to save one police officer’s life, I would do it instantly.”