I'm writing a story for school and one of my characters, a policeman, is killed in a home robbery. I'm trying to figure out a plausible way that the robber can be tied to the murder. I thought perhaps the robber could try to sell the officer's gun and is caught that way - is there a way that one could identify a gun as belonging to a certain person? It's not a big part of the story but I'd like to get it right. In Canada we have a gun registry, but I'm not sure how it works in the US where the story is set. Thanks!
2007-04-25 13:27:04 · 6 answers · asked by birdbrained22 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
Weapons are registered by the serial number. In an area where there is no registration, the weapon can be traced back to the gun dealer.
2007-04-25 13:32:38 · answer #1 · answered by CGIV76 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Not every state is a commie state so there isn't a gun registry.
The best ways to tie someone to anything is finger prints, eye witness, security camera (being so cheep now there are middle class people that own them.), DNA, traffic cameras.
IF a bad guy is going to sell a firearm it's not going to be to a gun shop or a pawnshop because they run all merchandise through the police and to transfer the pistol there is an accompanying ATF form.
2007-04-26 18:25:20 · answer #2 · answered by .45 Peacemaker 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, not only via the serial number assigned to the purchasing department, but by the officer signing for the weapon.
Theft of a police officers weapon is rare, but is taken very seriously by investigating officers.
Pawn shops are scoured regularly by police for specific weapons they can tie to crime.
In Virginia, however, you don't have to register the weapon as a citizen, but the weapons dealer (store) has to keep a record of the firearms they have sold and to who - their license depends on it.
Hope this helps your story.
2007-04-25 14:06:58 · answer #3 · answered by taylormade4golf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In Tennessee weapons issued to officers by their department are traceable. I work for a large dept (+1,000 officers). The serial numbers are recorded with the name of the officer the weapon is assigned. For shotguns we use departmentally applied numbers. For our personally owned weapons we register them as a citizen, not an officer.
2007-04-25 14:39:26 · answer #4 · answered by lovestheoutdoors45 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In NY state, the serial numbers are filed with the county clerk. Just recently all handguns in NY must also be fingerprinted, meaning fired so that there is a shell casing and bullet on file, just in case.
2007-04-25 13:42:26 · answer #5 · answered by rmoss9686 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Also, they will certainly be able to match the shell casings if any were left behind
2007-04-25 13:35:25 · answer #6 · answered by hl_masters 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋