Drizzt
February 12, 2003, 12:42 PM
Stupid Leftist Gun Grabbers
By Sheriff Michael E. Cook
Published 02. 11. 03 at 21:11 Sierra Time
xxx
Well, here we go again. I see the national media has jumped on the leftist band wagon of "fingerprinting firearms". They went to New York City and found a couple of police officers who were sympathetic to the idea and interviewed them for the national news on TV. Well, enough is enough. This is about as stupid as it gets. It will not help solve any crimes in America.
I worked in law enforcement for 30 years. I feel I have about as much knowledge about what works and doesn't work in doing investigations as the next officer. I will go on record right now telling you this will not work.
First of all, firearms do not have fingerprints. This is the first lie they are trying to sell you. Firearms have tool marks on them. So, with a tool, these marks can be changed very easily. Most people, including criminals, already know this - so there goes that little bit of data that might be used to identify the weapon. Crow Bars also have tool marks and these have been used to identify a burglar who used a crow bar to open a door or window. As the tool is used, marks are transferred to the wood or metal frame. This also can be changed if the criminal then takes the crow bar and grinds the end down a little. It's only good evidence if we find the tool and it hasn't been altered. That is why police officers look for people who carry Burglary Tools on them and why many states make this a violation of law if this can be proved. So are we going to fingerprint all Crow Bars and burglary tools, then issue them serial numbers so they can be traced? I think not.
Fingerprints are a pattern of skin that each of us have on our fingers. We also have palm prints and other prints on other parts of our body that are one of a kind. Many criminals have attempted to alter these prints over time. It is painful and time consuming to do this, but it can be done.
Most criminals are smart enough now days to wear gloves or wipe down the scene of the crime so that their fingerprints will not be at the crime scene. They know if they have been printed and those prints are on file. They are also smart enough to change tool marks on a weapon if they use it in a crime. So this is just another back door agenda to start a national registry of firearms, mostly handguns. The police and the government have no need to know who legally purchased and owns a weapon unless they want to disarm society. If this happens America will no longer be a free nation. It's that simple.
Lets take one weapon and use it for an example of what I'm talking about. Since handguns are the target and this kind of handgun has been a target of the anti-crowd for a long time. Glocks are a very good gun that has been very popular in America for police and civilian use. Take the Glock model 17 in 9 MM as a start. If you had 100 of these handguns, all the same model, you could take them apart, mix up all the parts and put them all back together and they would all work fine, but the so-called fingerprints would all be changed.
The serial number, by law, is attached to the frame of the handgun. So this Glock model 17 could have a different firing pin, different barrel, and different slide on it than when it left the factory. So how will you trace it now? These are the very items that leave the tool marks on the brass and bullet when fired. Now you take a file and make new marks on the end of the firing pin, and on the bolt face on the slide and a couple in the barrel. The so-called fingerprint of that weapon is altered again and would not be traceable until fired once more - if nobody changed the marks yet again.
This is a very short lesson in why this is such a stupid idea. Real police officers who are trained to do the job don't need this. It's one more obstacle to be used against them in court. Do you understand what a field day a good attorney would have with this knowledge? These cases would be thrown out of court right and left.
Police officers are professionals who have been trained in doing criminal investigations. This is not a perfect science and not every crime in the world will get solved by them, but homicide is one crime that gets resolved at a much higher rate than other crimes. When people are involved, it normally takes people to solve the crime. Any investigator worth his or her salt will tell you right up front that if you interview enough people and ask the right questions you will solve most crimes. That is the secret to being a good investigator.
Please don't fall into the stupid agenda trap being put out by the antigun groups. It is a lie and will cost a lot of your tax money while solving nothing.
God Bless America.
Michael E. Cook, Coos County Sheriff, Retired
http://www.sierratimes.com/03/02/12/sheriff.htm
By Sheriff Michael E. Cook
Published 02. 11. 03 at 21:11 Sierra Time
xxx
Well, here we go again. I see the national media has jumped on the leftist band wagon of "fingerprinting firearms". They went to New York City and found a couple of police officers who were sympathetic to the idea and interviewed them for the national news on TV. Well, enough is enough. This is about as stupid as it gets. It will not help solve any crimes in America.
I worked in law enforcement for 30 years. I feel I have about as much knowledge about what works and doesn't work in doing investigations as the next officer. I will go on record right now telling you this will not work.
First of all, firearms do not have fingerprints. This is the first lie they are trying to sell you. Firearms have tool marks on them. So, with a tool, these marks can be changed very easily. Most people, including criminals, already know this - so there goes that little bit of data that might be used to identify the weapon. Crow Bars also have tool marks and these have been used to identify a burglar who used a crow bar to open a door or window. As the tool is used, marks are transferred to the wood or metal frame. This also can be changed if the criminal then takes the crow bar and grinds the end down a little. It's only good evidence if we find the tool and it hasn't been altered. That is why police officers look for people who carry Burglary Tools on them and why many states make this a violation of law if this can be proved. So are we going to fingerprint all Crow Bars and burglary tools, then issue them serial numbers so they can be traced? I think not.
Fingerprints are a pattern of skin that each of us have on our fingers. We also have palm prints and other prints on other parts of our body that are one of a kind. Many criminals have attempted to alter these prints over time. It is painful and time consuming to do this, but it can be done.
Most criminals are smart enough now days to wear gloves or wipe down the scene of the crime so that their fingerprints will not be at the crime scene. They know if they have been printed and those prints are on file. They are also smart enough to change tool marks on a weapon if they use it in a crime. So this is just another back door agenda to start a national registry of firearms, mostly handguns. The police and the government have no need to know who legally purchased and owns a weapon unless they want to disarm society. If this happens America will no longer be a free nation. It's that simple.
Lets take one weapon and use it for an example of what I'm talking about. Since handguns are the target and this kind of handgun has been a target of the anti-crowd for a long time. Glocks are a very good gun that has been very popular in America for police and civilian use. Take the Glock model 17 in 9 MM as a start. If you had 100 of these handguns, all the same model, you could take them apart, mix up all the parts and put them all back together and they would all work fine, but the so-called fingerprints would all be changed.
The serial number, by law, is attached to the frame of the handgun. So this Glock model 17 could have a different firing pin, different barrel, and different slide on it than when it left the factory. So how will you trace it now? These are the very items that leave the tool marks on the brass and bullet when fired. Now you take a file and make new marks on the end of the firing pin, and on the bolt face on the slide and a couple in the barrel. The so-called fingerprint of that weapon is altered again and would not be traceable until fired once more - if nobody changed the marks yet again.
This is a very short lesson in why this is such a stupid idea. Real police officers who are trained to do the job don't need this. It's one more obstacle to be used against them in court. Do you understand what a field day a good attorney would have with this knowledge? These cases would be thrown out of court right and left.
Police officers are professionals who have been trained in doing criminal investigations. This is not a perfect science and not every crime in the world will get solved by them, but homicide is one crime that gets resolved at a much higher rate than other crimes. When people are involved, it normally takes people to solve the crime. Any investigator worth his or her salt will tell you right up front that if you interview enough people and ask the right questions you will solve most crimes. That is the secret to being a good investigator.
Please don't fall into the stupid agenda trap being put out by the antigun groups. It is a lie and will cost a lot of your tax money while solving nothing.
God Bless America.
Michael E. Cook, Coos County Sheriff, Retired
http://www.sierratimes.com/03/02/12/sheriff.htm