Brady Celebrates Chicago Mayor’s Executive Order Ensuring Responsible Firearms Procurement

The executive order follows in the footsteps of several states and cities that have adopted policies to ensure taxpayer dollars away from irresponsible gun dealers 

CHICAGO, IL, July 29, 2026 — The nation's oldest gun violence prevention organization, Brady: United Against Gun Violence, is celebrating Mayor Brandon Johnson signing an executive order to establish responsible procurement standards for firearms purchased by city agencies in Chicago. The executive order addresses a shocking national problem, exposed by a Brady investigation, that law enforcement agencies have spent millions of taxpayer dollars buying firearms from dealers and manufacturers with repeated violations of federal firearm regulations.

As the number one purchaser of firearms in America, government agencies wield significant market power. Responsible firearms procurement policies, like Mayor Johnson’s executive order, leverage that power to prevent the misuse of taxpayer funds and to incentivize firearm dealers to obey public safety laws and adopt safe business practices. The executive order complements Chicago’s ongoing violence prevention efforts and protects Chicagoans’ hard-won taxpayer dollars from gun dealers that fuel the city’s gun violence epidemic. 

In signing this order, Mayor Johnson helps count Chicago among a growing number of states, cities, and counties, such as Colorado, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, that have implemented Brady-backed responsible firearms procurement standards, which are part of the organization’s longstanding effort to save lives and hold the gun industry accountable at every level. 

Brady President Kris Brown said:

Government doesn't just make the rules — it helps shape the market. Every taxpayer dollar spent on firearms should reinforce public safety, not reward gun dealers with a track record of violating the law. For too long, irresponsible sellers have profited twice: first by selling firearms that end up fueling crime and violence, and then by winning government contracts paid for by the very communities harmed by that violence. Mayor Johnson's executive order rejects that status quo and sends a clear message that public dollars come with public responsibility. We are excited to see more cities and states use their purchasing power to raise standards across the gun industry.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said:

Chicago’s commitment to community safety is reflected in the standards we set for how taxpayer dollars are spent. This executive order builds on that commitment by strengthening our procurement standards to ensure the City’s purchasing power advances responsible business practices and community safety. Every family deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, and through this commitment to the families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, we are encouraging greater accountability across the firearms industry while supporting vendors that share our commitment to preventing illegal gun trafficking and protecting Chicagoans.

This is Mayor Johnson’s second executive order addressing gun violence in the last month, following the recent establishment of the Office of Gun Violence Reduction (OGVR). In recent years, Chicago has sustained historic reductions in crime and violence, with homicides falling to their lowest point in 60 years during 2025. These trends have coincided with coordinated investments in community violence intervention (CVI) organizations, youth employment, enhanced victim services, and expanded mental and behavioral healthcare programming.