The Scope and Implications of a Tracing Mechanism for Small Arms ...

122
The South African authorities assessed a variety of alternative methods
of marking, including the “smart handgrip“ (which only allows the weapon
to be fired once it has verified the user’s identity) but found them to be
prohibitively expensive, which is why conventional stamping is still
preferred. In addition they reviewed existing systems for controlling
dangerous drugs and nuclear and biological agents to see if they could be
exploited in an arms control context, but they found them to be
disproportionately bureaucratic for their purposes.
The most cost-effective means of building-in security features is at the
time of manufacture. However, as these will be of greater benefit to law
enforcement agencies than the manufacturers, without statutory
underpinning, the introduction of such measures relies entirely on the
goodwill of the Industry.
One area, which can be borrowed from another aspect of policing, is
direct computer access to commercial databases. Such systems are
available in the UK, for example, for accessing communications data direct
from the databases operated by the telephone networks. In the US, a
computer programme, called “Access 2000”, allows the Bureau of Alcohol
Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) similar 24-7 on-line access to records held by
certain domestic arms manufacturers and importers. This innovative
approach leads the way for future partnerships between the arms trade and
law enforcement agencies to rapidly access data for tracing purposes.
Direct comparisons can be made between the global automotive
industry and the arms trade. The following illustrates the advances made in
the automotive industry worldwide to protect against theft and trafficking.
All of these can and should be replicated across the arms trade without
exception.
• (Unique identifier) For quality control and security, vehicles are
marked before they leave the production line with a unique 17
character alphanumeric coded, the Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN). The VIN is clearly marked in one accessible location and a
second duplicate mark is stamped in a semi-covert place elsewhere on
the chassis. Coordination and cooperation throughout the worldwide
industry means that the alphanumeric codes used for VINs remain
unique, not just to the manufacturer but also to their individual