Wal-Mart, the nation’s larger seller of firearms, announced Monday that it would adopt a much stricter gun policy. This means it will toughen the rules for gun sales and it will create an internal log of which guns they sell that are later used in crimes.

J.P. Suarez, the chief compliance officer for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., appeared with outspoken gun control advocate Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York to announce the changes at a gathering of Bloomberg's group Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the Associated Press reported.

Future changes include: creating a data base and an alert system to send a signal when a gun which was bought from Wal-Mart is later used in a crime, or retaining the recording images of any gun sold al Wal-Mart, which could prove to be a great help for police in their investigations.

This system would prevent any future transactions between the purchaser of the gun who used it in a crime and the company. After the alert, the sales clerk could refuse to make the sell.  

On the other hand, any change implies an additional cost for the company.

“The costs are, we think, part of what it takes to be responsible. Everything is not pain-free,” J.P. Suarez said, quoted by the AP. He added these measures could serve as an example for small sellers that could implement many of the same rules.

Moreover, The Nation Rifle Association had a different opinion upon the company’s move.

“I view it as a public relations stunt that stigmatizes law-abiding firearms purchasers exercising their freedom under the Constitution,” said NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, according to the AP. In his message, he emphasized the fact that politicians should be less worried about legal sellers and buyers and they should pay more attention to the illegal gun dealers.