NYC LOADED WITH OUT-OF-STATE GUNS
By LARRY CELONA and HASANI GITTENS
September 7, 2007 -- Holy shoot!
The federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has revealed that 85 percent of guns recovered in New York City last year, and that could be traced back to their original owners, come from other states.
According to a report published on the agency's Web site, it also turns out that Brooklyn is the place to be for pistol packers and only eight machine guns were recovered in the city last year.
"This Web site allows ordinary citizens to get a glimpse of what their local police departments are up against in battling illegal firearms traffickers," said William McMahon, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF New York Field Division.
"By analyzing trace results, ATF can better focus our resources to stop the flow of illegal guns into New York," he said.
The ATF was able to trace the original owners of 3,258 firearms recovered last year.
Only 14.5 percent of those guns - 471, the largest number - were followed back to New York state owners.
Out of state, the most originated from Virginia (393), followed by Pennsylvania (317), Georgia (309), South Carolina (289), North Carolina (271) and Florida (217).
Meanwhile the most guns by far were recovered in Brooklyn - 2,558. Queens and The Bronx both had about 1,600, Manhattan 1,017 and Staten Island 295.
And recoveries were up last year by nearly 20 percent at 7,059 firearms compared to 6,031 in 2005.
One of the big statistics the ATF focuses on is "Time-to-Crime," which measures the period between the point when the gun was legally bought and when the weapon was used in a crime.
McMahon said that index has been going up steadily since 2002 when the average time was 9.4 years. Last year the average time-to-crime was 12.3 years.
"That's a good thing," he said, "because that means that there are fewer newer guns coming into the city."
He said that any time a gun recovered with a time-to-crime of less than two years, the agency immediately sends a team out to the original purchaser to track the weapon's movement. The ATF data also shows that the good old pistol is the preferred weapon for the discerning criminal - making up 83 percent of the illegal haul.
More than 4,000 semiautomatic pistols were recovered in the city last year, and an additional 1,774 revolvers, according to the ATF.
Rifles finished a distant third at 618, and 486 shotguns were also recovered.
Derringers - old fashioned, two-round handguns - rounded out the top five with 89.
The ATF also breaks down the firearm recovery data by brand, but it's doubtful any of the manufacturers will be boasting about it in their next ad in Guns & Ammo.
The Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic was the top gun in New York City, with 310 taken off our mean streets. There were 300 Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolvers recovered.
Gunplay also is a young man's game, according to the numbers. When an age of the possessor was provided, 57 percent were between 18 and 30 years old, 73 percent were 18-40.
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They could trace only 3258 out of 7059 guns less than 50%
By LARRY CELONA and HASANI GITTENS
September 7, 2007 -- Holy shoot!
The federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has revealed that 85 percent of guns recovered in New York City last year, and that could be traced back to their original owners, come from other states.
According to a report published on the agency's Web site, it also turns out that Brooklyn is the place to be for pistol packers and only eight machine guns were recovered in the city last year.
"This Web site allows ordinary citizens to get a glimpse of what their local police departments are up against in battling illegal firearms traffickers," said William McMahon, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF New York Field Division.
"By analyzing trace results, ATF can better focus our resources to stop the flow of illegal guns into New York," he said.
The ATF was able to trace the original owners of 3,258 firearms recovered last year.
Only 14.5 percent of those guns - 471, the largest number - were followed back to New York state owners.
Out of state, the most originated from Virginia (393), followed by Pennsylvania (317), Georgia (309), South Carolina (289), North Carolina (271) and Florida (217).
Meanwhile the most guns by far were recovered in Brooklyn - 2,558. Queens and The Bronx both had about 1,600, Manhattan 1,017 and Staten Island 295.
And recoveries were up last year by nearly 20 percent at 7,059 firearms compared to 6,031 in 2005.
One of the big statistics the ATF focuses on is "Time-to-Crime," which measures the period between the point when the gun was legally bought and when the weapon was used in a crime.
McMahon said that index has been going up steadily since 2002 when the average time was 9.4 years. Last year the average time-to-crime was 12.3 years.
"That's a good thing," he said, "because that means that there are fewer newer guns coming into the city."
He said that any time a gun recovered with a time-to-crime of less than two years, the agency immediately sends a team out to the original purchaser to track the weapon's movement. The ATF data also shows that the good old pistol is the preferred weapon for the discerning criminal - making up 83 percent of the illegal haul.
More than 4,000 semiautomatic pistols were recovered in the city last year, and an additional 1,774 revolvers, according to the ATF.
Rifles finished a distant third at 618, and 486 shotguns were also recovered.
Derringers - old fashioned, two-round handguns - rounded out the top five with 89.
The ATF also breaks down the firearm recovery data by brand, but it's doubtful any of the manufacturers will be boasting about it in their next ad in Guns & Ammo.
The Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic was the top gun in New York City, with 310 taken off our mean streets. There were 300 Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolvers recovered.
Gunplay also is a young man's game, according to the numbers. When an age of the possessor was provided, 57 percent were between 18 and 30 years old, 73 percent were 18-40.
[email protected]
They could trace only 3258 out of 7059 guns less than 50%
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