CHARACTERISTICS AND DYNAMICS OF ILLEGAL FIREARMS MARKETS: IMPLICATIONS FOR A SUPPLY-SIDE ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY

Author: Pierce GL / Braga AA / Hyatt Jr RR / Koper CS
Publication: Justice Quarterly
Topics: Criminology Gun Carrying Law Enforcement U.S./National
Keywords: firearm gun trace trafficking
Bibliographic information +

The authors evaluate the use of firearms trace data to identify sources of illegal firearms and assess the efficacy of law enforcement strategies that focus on the supply side, using trace data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives on crime-related firearms recovered by law enforcement during 1999. Almost one third of these guns were diverted from legal firearms retailers. Nearly one out of three crime-related firearms had two or more markers of gun trafficking. Shutting down direct supply lines of guns to criminals is possible.