Sen. Whitehouse, Rep. Pou Introduce Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act
Bicameral bill aids police departments across the country by allowing ATF to use computers at National Tracing Center
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
“Every second counts when you’re investigating an act of gun violence, but current law delivered at the bidding of the NRA prevents federal law enforcement from acting quickly to bring criminals to justice,” said Senator Whitehouse. “This bill would remove archaic and unnecessary restrictions and arm the ATF with modern search tools so they can save more lives.”
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ) introduced the Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act, which will finally give the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) the ability to electronically search the records of guns used in crimes across the country.
“Americans should be appalled at the state of crime gun tracing in America,” said Congresswoman Pou. “Because of a decades-old law imposed at the behest of the NRA, the ATF is literally banned from using computers to trace firearms used in crimes. Every moment after a crime is committed matters to police. All law enforcement agencies share one goal: solving crimes as fast as possible. This small, simple change will help police do their jobs fighting crime. It will save lives and create needed efficiency. After decades of being hamstrung by extremist NRA policies, the ATF must be given the power to do its job.”
For decades, the ATF has been blocked from digitizing millions of gun sales records already in the ATF’s possession so they can be searched by computers at its National Tracing Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia, the only federal facility that maintains gun sales records in the U.S. This outdated restriction requires sifting through the ATF’s mountains of paper records. With the ATF receiving more than 1,700 crime gun traces per day, this paper-based system can create serious delays in criminal investigations and drain law enforcement resources in jurisdictions in all 50 states.
“We should be making it easier, not harder, for law enforcement agencies to trace firearms used in crimes,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha. “In Rhode Island, we have had great success using ballistic imaging technology and other modernized approaches to combat gun violence. There is no reason why ATF should not be equipped with the most efficient methods to trace guns used in crimes, where time is of the essence for investigators. Further, the digitization of these records will aid in collaboration between ATF and state and municipal agencies. I commend Senator Whitehouse and Representative Pou for their leadership on this issue.”
The Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act would provide a simple, narrow change in the law to allow the ATF to electronically search crime gun sales records already in its possession. The legislation will allow ATF searches for criminal and national security investigations.
The Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act is endorsed by the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), and Brady.
A summary of the Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act is provided here.