Currently, NICS provides immediate notice to state and local law enforcement of denied firearms sales to fugitives and persons under domestic violence restraining orders, and the ATF ensures that all denials are appropriately reviewed and investigated. Now that NICS has completed its second successful year of operation, technological progress can help take this success even further. At the President's request, the Department of Justice will work with the FBI and the Treasury Department to develop a system that provides more information more quickly to local law enforcement about denials of other categories of persons who are denied firearms sales through NICS background checks. The initiative brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to provide information about the illegal sources of guns recovered from juveniles and adult criminals and to strengthen enforcement of the nation s gun laws. ATF will work with local law enforcement in each of these cities to submit all crime guns seized for tracing and use the information to identify and locate illegal gun traffickers and other gun criminals.
Handguns are the weapon of choice for juveniles and criminals.
Handguns comprised 78 percent of all traced crime guns, with semiautomatic pistols accounting for 50 percent of all traced guns. Many crime guns are acquired in multiple sales. The acquisition of handguns in multiple sales can be an important trafficking indicator. Handguns sold in multiple sales reported to the ATF National Tracing Center accounted for 22 percent of all handguns sold and traced in 1999. Newer guns play a large role in crime.