Reno, NV…Mike Haley, Sheriff Washoe County, Nevada, is a supporter of Mayors Against Illegal Guns and supports todays National Day to Demand Action to bring awareness of the need to responsibly address and bring an end to gun violence. While members of Congress are home during the Easter/Passover recess, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, in conjunction with Organizing for Action, Americans for Responsible Solutions and other groups supporting background checks, organized more than 100 events and petition drives and generated an unprecedented number of calls into Senate district offices to call for their representatives to support commonsense gun laws like comprehensive and enforceable background checks.

“Many Nevadan’s have lived through the consequences of gun violence. And, as a supporter of Mayors Against Illegal Gun, it is my hope that the national awareness to address gun violence will be raised and meaningful policy will emerge,” said Sheriff Haley.

The National Day to Demand Action brought together hundreds of mayors, law enforcement officials, faith leaders, gun violence survivors and family members, and other Americans who want Congress to take immediate action to strengthen our background check system and reduce gun violence. The day is expected to be the largest gun violence advocacy event in history and is part of the largest field campaign in U.S. history to address gun violence. The coalition recently announced that it is hiring organizers and opening campaign offices in ten key states including Nevada.

In addition to the National Day to Demand Action, the bipartisan coalition is also airing ads demanding that political leaders take action to pass commonsense gun reforms in key states during the upcoming Congressional recess, including in Nevada. Ads can be found here: www.demandaction.org/recessads

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its inception in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.4 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country. The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation’s mayors around these common goals: protecting their communities by holding gun offenders and irresponsible gun dealers accountable; demanding access to trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix gaps, weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other prohibited purchasers to get guns. Learn more at http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office celebrated 150 years of proud service and community partnership in 2011. Sheriff Michael Haley is the 25th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County. His office continues to be the only full service public safety agency operating within northern Nevada and is responsible for operating the consolidated detention facility, regional crime lab, Northern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center, Internet Crimes against Children Task Force, court security, service of civil process, traditional street patrols and Regional Animal Services.