NCJ Number
26333
Journal
Texas Police Journal Volume: 23 Issue: 6 Dated: (JULY 1975) Pages: 2-7,17-18
Date Published
1975
Length
8 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED OF A STUDY REVIEWING ALL HANDGUN CASES IN NEW YORK CITY DURING 7 MONTHS OF 1973 AND TRACING EACH HANDGUN TO ITS LAST RETAIL OUTLET.
Abstract
NEW YORK CITY IS EXPERIENCING AN ALARMING INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CRIMES INVOLVING THE USE OF HANDGUNS, ALTHOUGH IT HAS THE MOST STRINGENT LOCAL GUN CONTROL LAWS IN THE NATION. TO OWN A HANDGUN IN NEW YORK CITY, AN APPLICANT MUST NOT ONLY MEET SPECIFIC LICENSING REQUIREMENTS, BUT ALSO MUST SHOW SPECIFIC, LEGITIMATE NEED FOR THE WEAPON. FURTHER, THE CITY REGULATES AND CONTROLS RETAILERS AND WHOLESALERS OF FIREARMS AND IMPOSES SPECIFIC THEFT-PREVENTION SECURITY STANDARDS ON FIREARMS DEALERS. HOWEVER, DESPITE THE RISING NUMBER OF CRIMES IN WHICH HANDGUNS ARE USED, THE OVERALL CRIME PICTURE SHOWS THAT THE USE OF FIREARMS IN NEW YORK IS FAR BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. IN AN ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN MORE MEANINGFUL DATA CONCERNING HANDGUNS AND THEIR USAGE IN THE CITY, THE INTELLIGENCE DIVISION OF THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT INITIATED AN INDEPTH HANDGUN STUDY TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) HOW DO ILLEGAL HANDGUNS ENTER THE CITY; (2) WHAT KIND OF BLACK MARKET EXISTS; AND (3) WHAT STEPS ARE TAKEN BY THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CURTAIL ILLEGAL SALES. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND FIREARMS BUREAU (ATF), THE DIVISION REVIEWED ALL HANDGUN CASES RECORDED BETWEEN JANUARY 1 AND JULY 31, 1973. OF THE 8,887 HANDGUN CASES RECEIVED DURING THE SUBJECT PERIOD 3,328 WERE DETERMINED TO BE TRACEABLE AND FORMED THE NUCLEUS OF THE STUDY. COMPLETED TRACINGS RECEIVED FROM ATF WERE REVIEWED, ANALYZED, AND CATEGORIZED, AND ASSIGNED PERSONNEL COMPILED THE FOLLOWING DATA: ORIGIN OF ILLEGAL HANDGUNS AND LAST RETAIL OUTLET; PURCHASERS OF ILLEGAL HANDGUNS; THEFTS OF HANDGUNS; AND LEGALLY OWNED HANDGUNS. A TOTAL OF 1,802 HANDGUNS WERE ABLE TO BE TRACED. OF THESE, 1,343 TRACED TO STATES OTHER THAN NEW YORK -- 69 PERCENT OF THEM FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, FLORIDA, VIRGINIA, AND GEORGIA. ONLY ONE HANDGUN WAS PURCHASED ILLEGALLY IN NEW YORK STATE WITH FRAUDULENT CREDENTIALS, SLIGHTLY MORE THAN ONE-FIFTH OF ALL HANDGUNS TRACED WERE STOLEN. THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY INCLUDED THAT: (1) HANDGUNS ENTER NEW YORK CITY THROUGH LEGAL OR ILLEGAL PURCHASE BY RESIDENTS OF OTHER STATES AND JURISDICTIONS WHO BRING OR SEND THEM INTO THE CITY, ILLEGAL PURCHASE BY NEW YORK RESIDENTS IN OTHER STATES, THEFT IN VARIOUS STATES, OR THEFT FROM MILITARY RESERVATIONS; AND (2) SOME KIND OF BLACK MARKET IN ILLEGAL HANDGUNS EXISTS IN THE CITY, AS 97 PERCENT OF THE HANDGUNS TRACED TO STATES WERE NOT PURCHASED BY THOSE WHO WERE ULTIMATELY ARRESTED WITH THEM. THE AUTHOR ALSO CONCLUDES THAT STRINGENT GUN CONTROL LAWS CANNOT WORK IN NEW YORK CITY WHEN HANDGUNS ARE SO READILY AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE FOR FEDERAL AND STATE HANDGUN CONTROLS. (VDA)