NCJ Number
199032
Journal
USA Bulletin Volume: 50 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2002 Pages: 48-49
Date Published
January 2002
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article describes how firearms are traced through the National Tracing Center Division (NTC) of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).
Abstract
Firearms tracing involves systematic research to determine the history of a particular firearm, from the manufacturer or importer through the wholesale Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). The NTC is responsible for conducting these firearm traces and analyzing the results. Each trace request contains retail FFL information, purchaser information, possessor information, and associates information. NTC is also the repository of multiple sales forms and FFL out-of-business records (OBR). Multiple sales forms are required to be submitted by FFLs whenever a retail purchaser buys two or more handguns in a 5-day period. OBRs involve all firearms transaction records of a FFL that has gone out of business. Additionally, FFLs report to the NTC all thefts of firearms from their inventory. The NTC's large pool of data is leveraged into each new firearms trace request. When a law enforcement agency submits a trace request, the NTC accesses all the aforementioned information to provide a complete firearms-trace-results report. Firearms tracing can provide law enforcement agencies with complete information that will allow them to tie a firearm to a particular suspect. With additional data related to the retail FFL, possessor, associates, and recovery location, a second tier of investigative material is developed. Further, when tracing is conducted comprehensively within a particular region, a complete picture of the movement of crime guns can be developed. This third tier of information can be used to focus enforcement activities in those areas where crime guns are plentiful.