The Scope and Implications of a Tracing Mechanism for Small Arms ...
The Scope and Implications of a Tracing Mechanism for Small Arms ...
The Scope and Implications of a Tracing Mechanism for Small Arms ...
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4.2.1 State <strong>Tracing</strong> Centers<br />
When a firearm is recovered at the scene <strong>of</strong> a crime, it must first be<br />
identified. If it can be determined where that firearm was manufactured,<br />
that State <strong>of</strong> manufacture can be contacted to provide in<strong>for</strong>mation about<br />
that firearm. Because it is one <strong>of</strong> the leading firearms producing nations in<br />
the world, the US has developed a National <strong>Tracing</strong> Center (NTC) that<br />
accepts trace requests <strong>for</strong> US-source firearms from throughout the world. 3<br />
<strong>The</strong> NTC, under the jurisdiction <strong>of</strong> the Bureau <strong>of</strong> Alcohol, Tobacco <strong>and</strong><br />
Firearms (ATF), is the only facility <strong>of</strong> its kind that is available 24 hours a day<br />
to receive trace requests <strong>for</strong> recovered US-source crime guns, which are<br />
US-manufactured firearms or <strong>for</strong>eign-manufactured firearms lawfully<br />
imported into the US <strong>and</strong> so marked. This tracing center maintains data on<br />
stolen firearms, firearms with obliterated serial numbers, firearms suspected<br />
to have been trafficked but not yet recovered in crime, multiple sales <strong>of</strong><br />
firearms to the same individual, as well as over 300 million individual<br />
firearms transaction records from out-<strong>of</strong>-business dealers. ATF estimates<br />
that it now traces approximately 240,000 firearms annually. ATF’s NTC,<br />
there<strong>for</strong>e, serves as but one example <strong>of</strong> an institution that can play an<br />
important role in any State’s tracing system. 4<br />
4.2.2 Interpol<br />
Interpol has over 170 <strong>of</strong>fices throughout the world. It serves<br />
participating States by facilitating the exchange <strong>of</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>for</strong><br />
circumstances in which a State-to-State trace request cannot be conducted.<br />
Interpol facilitates this function through its Terrorism <strong>and</strong> Violent Crime<br />
Division, which issues a request to one State on the behalf <strong>of</strong> another State.<br />
In a tracing scenario, a State with a recovered <strong>for</strong>eign firearm can request<br />
that the firearm be traced by the State <strong>of</strong> manufacture. Using Interpol <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
a st<strong>and</strong>ardized method <strong>for</strong> requesting the trace. Each State acts on the<br />
request received from Interpol, using the system accessible within its<br />
governmental environment.<br />
In addition, Interpol also <strong>of</strong>fers the Interpol Weapons <strong>and</strong> Explosives<br />
Tracking System (IWETS). IWETS is currently the only international<br />
analytical database designed to collate in<strong>for</strong>mation on illegal firearms<br />
trafficking. IWETS <strong>of</strong>fers support <strong>of</strong> a trace system through its function <strong>of</strong><br />
tracking stolen <strong>and</strong> recovered weapons. In addition, it is anticipated that in