National Database of STOLEN Guns??

[DoubleMag]

Is there a database, national or state level, of stolen guns. So I'm at a private sale such as an auction, see shotgun at a good price, check serial #, call 1-800-_ _ _-_ _ _ _ , and find out if gun has been reported as stolen?

I for one, would use it, and if a gun was reported stolen immediately call Authorities.

 

[Al Thompson]

There is, but access is limited to LEOs.

 

[ThorinNNY]

Al Thompson stated there is a database, but access is linited to LEOs. Okay, got that.
Are there any laws that would prohibit a non-law enforcement agency from starting up its own private registry of stolen guns and making information available to buyer?

 

[MErl]

It would be more a problem of implementation for a private entity. How do you stop people from flooding it with every SN they can find or make up?

police require a report and lying there is a crime. no such protection on the private side.

 

[xwingband]

How do you stop people from flooding it with every SN they can find or make up?

police require a report and lying there is a crime. no such protection on the private side.

Easy, require the police report number. I don't really see why we couldn't have a way to call up LEO to run it though. They should, but then again that would make sense...

 

[230RN]

Anyone try a FOIA? Are there statutory prohibitions about making it public, or was it a case of some high mucky-muck poobah bureaucrat simply saying, "Oh, we shouldn't let the public know about this."

Seems to me that it is hard to justify keeping stolen guns listings seekrit anyhow. Unless someone can educate me out of that opinion.

Terry, 230RN

 

[hi-tower]

seems to me the access to this database is another elite issue. Why can law abidding citizen information on CCW holders be avaiable to anyone who asks but there is no way to have the information available on stolen guns which are illegal. Seems to be another protect the criminals but screw over the people who actually follow the law. Seems backwards to me. I am not advocating opening the database to everyone (maybe there should be more debate on it though) but if it is not then neither should the list of CCW holders.

 

[45_auto]

It's called the NCIC. Stolen guns are a very small part of it.

You can read about it here:

http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fbi/is/ncic.htm

National Crime Information Center (NCIC)

National Crime Information Center
Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306
Hours of Service: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Telephone: (304) 625-2000

NCIC is a computerized index of criminal justice information (i.e.- criminal record history information, fugitives, stolen properties, missing persons). It is available to Federal, state, and local law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies and is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

PURPOSE: The purpose for maintaining the NCIC system is to provide a computerized database for ready access by a criminal justice agency making an inquiry and for prompt disclosure of information in the system from other criminal justice agencies about crimes and criminals. This information assists authorized agencies in criminal justice and related law enforcement objectives, such as apprehending fugitives, locating missing persons, locating and returning stolen property, as well as in the protection of the law enforcement officers encountering the individuals described in the system.

ACCESS CONSTRAINTS: All records in NCIC are protected from unauthorized access through appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. These safeguards include restricting access to those with a need to know to perform their official duties, and using locks, alarm devices, passwords, and/or encrypting data communications.

USE CONSTRAINTS: Users of the NCIC system will be restricted to only those privileges necessary to perform an authorized task(s).

AGENCY PROGRAM: The FBI is authorized to acquire, collect, classify and preserve identification, criminal identification, crime, and other records and to exchange such information with authorized entities.

SOURCES OF DATA: Data contained in NCIC is provided by the FBI, federal, state, local and foreign criminal justice agencies, and authorized courts.

 

[HorseSoldier]

I don't really see why we couldn't have a way to call up LEO to run it though. They should, but then again that would make sense...

You should check with local law enforcement on whether or not you can. Some agencies will give you a simple yes or no answer on stolen status of serialized items, firearms or otherwise.

 

[VINTAGE-SLOTCARS]

Afs (automated firearms system) under jadic. and yes most agencies will only tell yes or no if a weapon is listed as stolen. Similar to registration for a car, agencies will not give out info on the vehicle. They will only tell you if it is stolen or not.

 

[Donut Destroyer]

A privately administered stolen gun database would not be out of the realm of feasibility if someone was willing to provide the infrastructure. Of course the information in it would only be through voluntary contribution, like CarFax. Would take dedicated computers and phone systems so I'm sure it would be expensive to run. Anyone got a few million $ they're not doing anything with?

 

[HighExpert]

I have lots of faith in this approach. I reported a great little 9mm Tamfoglio stolen almost 20 years ago. No word yet but who knows, maybe my heirs will get it back.

 

[HorseSoldier]

I know of one case up here in AK where a pistol stolen in the 1970s was recovered in the last few years. I don't recall if the owner was still alive and/or if they were ever able to get in touch with them, though.

 

[Grey_Mana]

Before you ever try to do anything nice, think through the potential unintended consequences. If you make a database, will somebody sue you over it? Will boilerplate protect you if somebody loses a sale, or you have a mistake? Will a judge order you make costly changes to suit his whims, & threaten you with prison for contempt?

If America had extra money laying around, I'd advocate for a government database listing the number of every stolen & lost gun turned in for government keeping. Before any municipality could destroy a gun or sell an unclaimed gun, I'd require it to publish the serial number for 30 days, and I'd enact federal preemption to help the lawful owner get their property back more quickly.