National Police Foundation Study Finds Significant Numbers of Ghost Guns Recovered by Law Enforcement; Recommends Policy Action by Federal Authorities
Study of 24 law enforcement agencies sheds light on ghost guns, their potential involvement in firearm-related violence, and the need for further research, policy, and legislation development
WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in cities across the country are growing increasingly concerned about the threat that ghost guns (also known as privately made or unserialized firearms) pose to the safety of communities. Although national estimates are difficult to develop due to a lack of reporting requirements and other factors, the Department of Justice indicates that, nationwide, 325 homicides, or attempted homicides, had been linked with ghost guns.
In response to this issue, the National Police Foundation conducted a study of 24 diverse LEAs to examine how they are addressing the proliferation of ghost guns across the United States, their prevalence and involvement in crimes, and procedures and policies that have been adopted for safely handling these firearms. Participating agencies—spanning across the country—collectively report thousands of ghost gun recoveries, the majority of which were handguns versus long guns or rifles.
The study uncovered considerable gaps in knowledge about the proliferation of ghost guns and how LEAs are addressing the growing presence of crime-involved ghost guns. The unregulated and untraceable nature of ghost guns, coupled with rapidly growing rates of recovery, may pose significant challenges to agencies' ability to appropriately identify, track, process, and investigate ghost guns.
Ghost guns render current approaches to firearm recovery and investigative methods less effective. There exists few resources for agencies on training and guidance for collecting, tracking, and reporting ghost guns and their data. There was also little insight into if and how agencies are communicating with each other regarding ghost guns, and how the tracking and reporting processes and gaps differ from region to region and state to state.
Agencies having greater experience with ghost guns tended to identify and recover ghost guns more commonly in connection with gang activity and domestic violence cases. In several large cities, officers believed that ghost guns were more likely to be acquired by individuals who would be prohibited from purchasing firearms through conventional channels that involve background checks. Similarly, officers also reported that ghost gun were mostly recovered from individuals that are prohibited from possessing or obtaining firearms. Unfortunately, due to lack of awareness and standardized reporting, empirical evidence is limited and additional study is needed.
As a result of the study, the following recommendations emerged:
- The sale of ghost gun kits and components should be regulated to enhance public safety.
- Serial numbers and identifiers on ghost gun kits and components should be required by law.
- A nationwide standard for reporting the production, sale, and recovery of ghost guns at local, state, and federal levels should be created.
- Enhanced training for local, state, and federal officers and forensic personnel in identifying and recording information on ghost gun recoveries should be provided.
- Processes and strategies to facilitate with-in and between-agency information sharing should be encouraged at local, state, and other levels.
- Training, technical assistance, and technology infrastructure to facilitate the identification and tracking of ghost guns should be provided to state and local LEAs.
- Research to assess the accuracy and reliability of officer field identifications should be supported to understand the prevalence of under-reporting ghost gun involvement in crimes.
- Research to inform understanding of the motivations to purchase ghost gun should be supported to better inform additional policymaking.
"It is clear from this research and the data collected by individual law enforcement agencies that we have a problem," said Jim Burch, President of the National Police Foundation. "What we don't know, primarily due to a lack of training and reporting standards nationally, is how big the problem is and how and where to intervene. It's essential that we provide local law enforcement with the training and tools needed to be effective in their roles. Their work matters and must be a priority to reduce gun violence."
To view the full report, please visit: https://www.policefoundation.org/publication/the-proliferation-of-ghost-guns-regulation-gaps-and-challenges-for-law-enforcement/
About the National Police Foundation:
The National Police Foundation (NPF) is a non-partisan and non-membership 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing the impact and delivery of police services through reforms and enhancements guided by innovation and science. For the last 50 years, the Foundation has led the development of research on all aspects of policing and leads the way in promoting and sharing evidence-based practices and innovation among law enforcement. The Foundation works with communities across the U.S. and internationally to provide research, training, and technical assistance relating to community engagement and problem solving, promoting safety and healthy organizations and officers, the reduction and prevention of violence, and equitable and fair justice for all. For more information, please visit the National Police Foundation website at www.policefoundation.org.
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SOURCE National Police Foundation
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