Posted on Feb 11, 2023
6 major takeaways from the ATF's first report in 20 years on U.S. gun crime
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https://www.npr.org/2023/02/10/ [login to see] /major-takeaways-from-the-atf-gun-violence-report
Stolen guns, untraceable weapons and other deadly devices are becoming more prevalent in U.S. gun crimes, new federal data shows.
Last week, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released an expansive federal report, the first of its kind in 20 years, on guns used in crimes, providing the public with more detail about stolen firearms and gun trafficking.
The data stretches from 2017 and 2021. During that period, local police reported a shrinking turnaround time for a legally purchased gun to be used in a crime. It also provides insight into the spike in ghost guns and conversion devices.
ATF Director Steven Dettelbach wrote that the findings offer "strategic intelligence" for policy makers, law enforcement and researchers to reduce gun violence.
Gun policy experts have said that the release of this data is a big step in better understanding gun crime in the U.S., and can better educate policymakers on the need to regulate several areas of the gun industry.
Lindsay Nichols, policy director with the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, told NPR: "This report is a major development for ATF in terms of their transparency."
Stolen guns, untraceable weapons and other deadly devices are becoming more prevalent in U.S. gun crimes, new federal data shows.
Last week, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released an expansive federal report, the first of its kind in 20 years, on guns used in crimes, providing the public with more detail about stolen firearms and gun trafficking.
The data stretches from 2017 and 2021. During that period, local police reported a shrinking turnaround time for a legally purchased gun to be used in a crime. It also provides insight into the spike in ghost guns and conversion devices.
ATF Director Steven Dettelbach wrote that the findings offer "strategic intelligence" for policy makers, law enforcement and researchers to reduce gun violence.
Gun policy experts have said that the release of this data is a big step in better understanding gun crime in the U.S., and can better educate policymakers on the need to regulate several areas of the gun industry.
Lindsay Nichols, policy director with the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, told NPR: "This report is a major development for ATF in terms of their transparency."
6 major takeaways from the ATF's first report in 20 years on U.S. gun crime
Posted from npr.org
Firearms and Guns
Crime
Violence
ATF
Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The report only reflects a glimpse of the full picture when it comes to guns in the U.S. Firearm tracing, as well as ballistic imaging policies and practices, vary across these local agencies, the ATF said.
The results presented in the report are thus limited and is not "representative of all crime guns used by offenders in the U.S. during this study period," the agency said in its report.
In 2021, 47.2% of law enforcement agencies (8,679 out of 17,981 agencies) were participating in ATF's eTrace program, which tracks firearms used in crimes. And as of 2021, there were only 259 cities with National Integrated Ballistic Information Network sites (which analyzes ballistic information). These databases are where the ATF pulled information for this report.
Even with this caveat, the ATF and experts say this information is a huge step in better understanding gun violence in the U.S. It comes at a time when data is pointing to a rise in deadly gun violence across the country.
Now, policymakers have another tool to address the problem, Densley said. "This is important information for understanding how gun violence evolves over time."
..."The report only reflects a glimpse of the full picture when it comes to guns in the U.S. Firearm tracing, as well as ballistic imaging policies and practices, vary across these local agencies, the ATF said.
The results presented in the report are thus limited and is not "representative of all crime guns used by offenders in the U.S. during this study period," the agency said in its report.
In 2021, 47.2% of law enforcement agencies (8,679 out of 17,981 agencies) were participating in ATF's eTrace program, which tracks firearms used in crimes. And as of 2021, there were only 259 cities with National Integrated Ballistic Information Network sites (which analyzes ballistic information). These databases are where the ATF pulled information for this report.
Even with this caveat, the ATF and experts say this information is a huge step in better understanding gun violence in the U.S. It comes at a time when data is pointing to a rise in deadly gun violence across the country.
Now, policymakers have another tool to address the problem, Densley said. "This is important information for understanding how gun violence evolves over time."
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Theft of Firearms also as they point out is a major problem and not only that but preventing Your own children from accessing Your firearms by not keeping them secure. In both cases the results can be very bad and result in death. Both safety in handling through proper training and security of firearms is extremely important. There are even homemade firearms that have showed up that are quite capable of killing. The majority of People have no problem with the safe handling and Security of Firearms but with population growth of course the criminal element also increased. At a younger age Myself I had a few NRA shooting medals and even BB guns, .22 rifles and a 410 shotgun. Never had a problem or misuse issue and handled them safely. A lot of places We used to shoot though with construction etc., were no longer safe often due to residence locations that weren't there before. We do have a great shooting club in our town with both indoor and outdoor ranges, trap and skeet and a large hunting area plus rivers and ponds for hunting and fishing. The club owns that and a very large expanse of land. On the other side of town also is another Fish and Game club also with a lot of wooded area, brooks with trout and hunting areas full of deer and other large wild animals.
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CDR Andrew McMenamin, PhD
It's the individual who determines what to do, whether through ignorance or purpose.
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Among all the angst over "untraceable" "ghost guns" I have to wonder how many crimes have ever been solved by tracing a gun found at the crime scene? I'm sure that there have been some, but I'm equally sure that it isn't very many. And that whatever number the ATF would claim includes a lot of crimes that were solved in other ways, and the trace was simply after the fact.
One thing buried very very deep under all the garbage in the report is the number of perfectly legal guns that are "untraceable" for perfectly legal reasons -- guns manufactured before 1968 were not required to have any serial number. Some manufacturers put serial numbers on some of their guns, but nearly all inexpensive guns were mass produced without any serial number. There are also no records for guns before 1968, so all those guns are untraceable even if the gun does have a serial number. Every gun that has ever been resold is effectively untraceable! Yes, there are records, but no reliable way to find those records. The record of each gun (since 1968) lets the government trace the gun from the manufacturer, through sales channels, to the licensed gun dealer that sold the gun to an individual. That's where the record stops! If there individual sells or gives the gun to another individual there usually is no record. If the sale or gift is through a gun dealer then there is a record -- BUT THERE IS NO WAY TO FIND THAT RECORD other than by asking the original purchaser what he or she did with the gun - and, of course, that original purchaser isn't required to have a record, or to remember, or even to be alive. Some people are very organized and have records of everything they ever did, most of us are not really that organized.
Of course, if the gun was ever lost or stolen then there is no record of who had it next.
Guess what? The majority of gun crimes are committed by criminals! Shocking, but true. Another great surprise for the anti-2A crowd is the fact that criminals do not obey laws.
One thing buried very very deep under all the garbage in the report is the number of perfectly legal guns that are "untraceable" for perfectly legal reasons -- guns manufactured before 1968 were not required to have any serial number. Some manufacturers put serial numbers on some of their guns, but nearly all inexpensive guns were mass produced without any serial number. There are also no records for guns before 1968, so all those guns are untraceable even if the gun does have a serial number. Every gun that has ever been resold is effectively untraceable! Yes, there are records, but no reliable way to find those records. The record of each gun (since 1968) lets the government trace the gun from the manufacturer, through sales channels, to the licensed gun dealer that sold the gun to an individual. That's where the record stops! If there individual sells or gives the gun to another individual there usually is no record. If the sale or gift is through a gun dealer then there is a record -- BUT THERE IS NO WAY TO FIND THAT RECORD other than by asking the original purchaser what he or she did with the gun - and, of course, that original purchaser isn't required to have a record, or to remember, or even to be alive. Some people are very organized and have records of everything they ever did, most of us are not really that organized.
Of course, if the gun was ever lost or stolen then there is no record of who had it next.
Guess what? The majority of gun crimes are committed by criminals! Shocking, but true. Another great surprise for the anti-2A crowd is the fact that criminals do not obey laws.
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