Governor Schwarzenegger's Historic Chance to Fight Crime and Gun Trafficking

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Griffin Dix, Ph.D.

Governor Schwarzenegger has a historic chance to fight crime and gun trafficking by signing a landmark bill that will make Californians safer. Will he take this opportunity to side with police, who want this new crime-fighting tool, or will he cave in to the gun lobby?

You can ask Governor Schwarzenegger to give law enforcement officials an important new crime-fighting tool by calling his office at 916-445-2841 and asking him to sign AB 1471.

Recently AB 1471, a bill that would help police solve gun crimes and identify gun traffickers, was passed by the California legislature and sent to the Governor for his signature. AB 1471, The Crime Gun Identification Act by Assemblyman Mike Feuer, would require that new models of semiautomatic handguns sold in California after January 1, 2010, be manufactured utilizing "microstamping" technology which uses lasers to engrave microscopic numbers onto the firing pin and breech face of the guns.

When these semiautomatic handguns are fired they would imprint tiny numbers onto the cartridge casings, which are often the only evidence found at crime scenes. Police could scan these numbers, query the existing California database and quickly obtain important leads by identifying the semiautomatic handgun from which the casing was fired, and the name of the gun’s last legal purchaser.

Microstamping would also help police identify “straw purchasers” whose names would show up again and again if they illegally buy guns for criminals and gang members.

California law enforcement officials are very eager to get this new crime-fighting tool. The police chiefs of virtually ever large city in California, totaling 65 chiefs, as well as police organizations such as the California Police Chiefs Association, Orange County Chiefs’ and Sheriffs’ Association and the Peace Officers Research Association of California all support AB 1471.

Why?

California has an enormous and increasing problem of murders and other crimes committed with handguns. No arrest is made in almost half of California’s 2400 homicides per year, according to the state Dept. of Justice. That’s because police often lack the evidence they need. Over 60 percent of these murders are committed with handguns, mostly semiautomatics.