Measure is Part of Assembly Democrats’ Comprehensive
Anti-Gun Violence Initiative
(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Charles
Mainor and Tim Eustace to create uniform reporting requirements to log and track
abandoned, discarded or seized firearms was approved 51-27 Monday by the Assembly, giving it final
legislative approval.
The legislation (A-3797) is part of the comprehensive Assembly
Democratic gun violence prevention initiative.
“The systems and technology to report and track abandoned or
seized weapons are out there, but what’s really needed are standard procedures
to help make sure this gets done,” said Mainor (D-Hudson), who is also a
detective with the Jersey City Police Department. “These procedures are
critical to solving gun-related crimes, getting criminals off the street and
preventing future crimes.”
“Providing for the public safety and the wellbeing of the
citizens of our residents and responding to the growing dangers and threats of
gun violence is a priority, which makes it vital for the law enforcement
departments and agencies of this state to fully participate, through the
utilization of electronic technology, in interjurisdictional information and
analysis sharing programs and systems to deter and solve gun crimes,” said
Eustace (D-Bergen/Passaic). “This is just more common sense.”
The bill would require that information relating to the crime of
firearms trafficking be included in the annual crime report the Attorney General
prepares and transmits to the Governor and Legislature.
Also under the bill, local law enforcement officers and agencies
are required to report to the various federal and state database systems that
are part of the Criminal Justice Information System information relating to
their seizure or recovery of firearms unlawfully possessed, used for an unlawful
purpose, recovered at a crime scene or found as abandoned or discarded
weapons.
These database systems, which include the National Crime
Information Center’s 2000 System, NJ Trace (part of the Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms, and Explosives’ e-Trace System) and the National Integrated Ballistics
Identification Network, make nationwide firearms information readily available
to law enforcement agencies.
“By integrating and analyzing the firearms’ information
available through these databases with the data submitted by local law
enforcement agencies in New Jersey, the State Police can develop valuable
profiles on the geographic and source venders or providers of the firearms being
illegally brought into the state,” Mainor said.
The bill also requires the Superintendent of State Police to
issue to the public an initial report summarizing firearms trace data received
within the last 10 years from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and
Explosives.
Thereafter, quarterly reports are to be issued summarizing data
currently received.
The reports are to include particular and aggregate information
on the state of origin of the recovered firearm, the identity and city location
of the firearm’s source vendor, the type of firearm recovered, the manufacturer,
make, and model of the recovered firearm, the crime which was committed with the
recovered firearm and other appropriate information.
Finally, the bill also requires all New Jersey law enforcement
agencies to test-fire certain seized and recovered firearms and submit the
resulting ballistics information to the National Integrated Ballistic
Identification Network.
“The ballistics information in the network is used to determine
whether the firearm is associated with or related to a crime, criminal event, or
any individual associated or related to a crime or criminal event,” Eustace
said.
The bill now goes to the governor.
No comments:
Post a Comment