ATF Shares Crime Gun Data With Kentucky Citizens

Citizens of Kentucky can now find specific firearm recovery information online, which in the past had not been released to the general public.

Special Agent in Charge Paul J. Vido of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as part of a national ATF initiative, announced today that ATF is releasing statistical data regarding firearms recovered by law enforcement agencies within the commonwealth of Kentucky and traced by ATF. Kentuckians can now gain some insight into firearms recoveries by learning about the types of offenses and where firearms were recovered within their state. A review of ATF firearm trace data compiled from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2006, for Kentucky reveals:

• Almost half of the firearms recovered in Kentucky were also originally purchased in Kentucky.
• Handguns are the number one type of firearm recovered.
• Firearms are mostly recovered from criminals who can not legally posses them.
  

"These statistics reinforce what law enforcement has known for years -- handguns in the hands of people who can not legally have them is at the heart of violent crime in Kentucky," said Vido. "This Web site allows ordinary citizens to get a glimpse of what their local police are up against."

A key component of the ATF enforcement mission is tracing firearms on behalf of thousands of federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies. ATF's National Tracing Center, located in Martinsburg, W.Va., provides trace data that tracks the transfer of a firearm from the importer or manufacturer to the gun's first purchaser. This information can assist law enforcement investigators in ultimately pinpointing the individual or individuals who used the gun to commit a violent crime.

As part of the ATF Louisville Field Division's support to Kentucky's law enforcement community, Vido will be meeting with Chief Robert C. White of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) to provide him with a comprehensive package of law-enforcement-sensitive firearms trace information to support ongoing LMPD violent investigations. Firearm trace information for additional cities in Kentucky will be provided as it becomes available.

JB