ATF’s National Tracing Center and Crime Gun Tracing Explained

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Last Updated on: 21st September 2023, 11:01 pm

 

ATF’s National Tracing Center and Crime Gun Tracing Explained

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operates the National Tracing Center, the only facility in the country that traces guns recovered from crime scenes. This process, known as crime gun tracing, provides critical information to help law enforcement investigate gun-related violence. But how exactly does it work, and why is it so important?

What is the National Tracing Center?

The National Tracing Center, located in Martinsburg, West Virginia, is authorized by the Gun Control Act of 1968 to trace firearms recovered by law enforcement agencies. The center processes over 600,000 trace requests each year from thousands of domestic and international agencies. It also assists over 50 countries in tracing guns recovered overseas that originated in the US.

What is crime gun tracing?

Crime gun tracing is the process of tracking a gun’s history from manufacturer to purchaser to determine ownership. Tracing begins when a law enforcement agency recovers a firearm from a crime scene or prohibited person. The agency submits a trace request to the ATF, providing details about the gun like the make, model, and serial number. The ATF then contacts the manufacturer, who provides information on the wholesale distributor. The distributor reveals the retail gun dealer, and the gun dealer provides records on the first retail purchaser. This sequence can identify suspects involved in gun trafficking and violent crimes.

Why is gun tracing important?

Tracing provides critical investigative leads to law enforcement. By identifying the first retail purchaser, investigators can determine if the gun was stolen, trafficked illegally, or used by its lawful owner. This evidence helps solve crimes, disrupt gun trafficking networks, and establish links between weapons and offenders. Gun tracing is a crucial tool for preventing gun violence and holding criminals accountable.

How does the ATF trace guns?

Despite advanced technology in other areas, the ATF relies on a slow, antiquated paper-based system for tracing firearms. Here’s how it works:

1. Gun dealers record transactions on a Firearms Transaction Record (Form 4473). This form includes information on the firearm make, model, serial number, and purchaser.
2. Dealers must keep these records for at least 20 years before destroying them.
3. When the ATF receives a trace request, staff search through boxes of paper forms from the relevant dealer to find records on the firearm.
4. Trace analysts input the data into the eTrace system and follow the trail to the manufacturer and original purchaser.

This paper-based method contributes to long trace times. The ATF is currently completing traces in 12-14 days on average, when it used to take just 2-3 days. The outdated process also limits searching and analysis capabilities.

Why is the tracing process so outdated?

The ATF is restricted from modernizing its tracing capabilities due to the Tiahrt Amendments, passed in 2003. These amendments:

• Prohibit the ATF from requiring dealers to submit records electronically
• Mandate that trace data can only be used in specific criminal investigations, not aggregated for reports or analysis
• Prevent the ATF from creating a federal database of gun records

These limitations force the ATF to use paper records, severely limiting efficiency and analytics. Efforts to repeal the Tiahrt Amendments have so far failed under pressure from pro-gun groups like the NRA.

What are the impacts of the outdated tracing process?

Relying on paper records and lengthy trace times impedes law enforcement investigations. It allows more violent crimes to go unsolved and hampers identification of trafficking patterns. Some impacts include:

• Murderers and shooters going free due to lack of timely evidence
• Inability to connect guns to repeat offenders committing multiple crimes
• Slower disruption of gun trafficking networks
• Reduced capacity to analyze gun data and develop preventive strategies

Modernizing the ATF’s tracing capabilities would provide substantial benefits in fighting gun crime and violence.

What are possible solutions?

There are a few options that could help improve crime gun tracing:

• Repealing the Tiahrt Amendments to allow digitized records and gun databases
• Requiring electronic filing of gun transaction records
• Providing more staffing and technology resources to the ATF tracing center
• Using gun ballistics to match recovered firearms when ownership records are unavailable

Transitioning to a modern, searchable database would enable tracing in minutes instead of weeks. But political barriers remain entrenched for now. Law enforcement leaders continue advocating to unlock the ATF’s full potential for combating gun violence.

The tracing process balances civil liberties

While gun rights groups oppose expanded ATF powers, crime gun tracing balances public safety with civil liberties. Tracing only accesses data on specific firearms used in crimes. It does not infringe on lawful owners’ rights or create a federal gun registry. But keeping records digitized would enable faster traces to solve violent crimes while protecting Americans’ constitutional freedoms.

In summary, the ATF’s National Tracing Center provides invaluable support to law enforcement through crime gun tracing. But without modernizing its paper-based process, its potential to combat gun violence remains stifled. Lawmakers should prioritize equipping the ATF with 21st century data systems to save lives and bring criminals to justice.

References

[1] Fact Sheet – National Tracing Center. ATF. Retrieved September 21, 2023.

[2] National Tracing Center – eTrace – Internet-based Firearms Tracing and Analysis. ATF. Retrieved September 21, 2023.

[3] ‘It’s just insanity’: ATF now needs 2 weeks to perform a routine gun trace. NBC News. August 19, 2022.

[4] How Crime Guns Are Traced in the US: One Page at a Time. NBC Chicago. September 16, 2021.

[5] Record-Long Gun Trace Times at the ATF. The Trace. August 22, 2022.

[6] Crime Gun Information Sharing: The ATF i-Trafficking Project. IACP. Retrieved September 21, 2023.