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

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account elements of the investigation such as the modus operandi or the
location in which the weapon was recovered, seized or stolen. These
elements can then be included in the intelligence operation and provide a
dynamic picture of the flow of weapons, the detection of criminal networks
and the identification of perpetrators. Police reports contain a large amount
of information that is useful (and necessary) for tracing operations.
However, considering the vast amount of data collected and the federal
pluralism that is typical of Switzerland (and of many other countries), the
information contained in the different files varies greatly. The solution, then,
lies in finding a means of correctly using these different sources of
information. Currently, the tracing mechanisms that have been
implemented in the different countries do not have recourse to these
extrinsic elements, which is one of the reasons that tracing operations today
are limited to a small number of weapons. In order to extend the range of
weapons that can be traced (in the context of a PT), these elements should
be rapidly integrated into the tracing process. Figure 4 shows an example of
a database input screen that includes all these features. The fields provided
are not exhaustive and may be amended or modified.
Figure 4: Example of a screen containing information on the intrinsic and
extrinsic features of a weapon