HARRISBURG — Today, Governor Wolf announced a new agreement to share data on crime guns among four states. This is crucial for fighting gun crime in Pennsylvania, as 32% of recovered guns used in violent crimes in PA are purchased outside of the state.
Building on the Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro’s successful Track & Trace program, the agreement will allow law enforcement in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania to rapidly share information to help identify and apprehend straw purchasers, traffickers and suspect dealers. Right now, these eTrace reports from ATF can be shared only within a state, limiting the ability to investigate inter-state sourcing of crime guns driving the rising homicide rate.
CeaseFirePA Education Fund’s Executive Director, Adam Garber, issued the following statement after the announcement:
“The devastating toll of gun trafficking across state lines has only worsened over the last 18 months. These illegal weapons are often used in shootings that drove a 27 percent increase in homicides last year in Pennsylvania.
“Today’s announcement will bring law enforcement agencies closer together to help close off more of the pathways for illegal firearms fueling the rise in deadly violence. Each trafficker shutdown is another life saved, another safer community that will remain unscarred. While ultimately we need the General Assembly to enact policies that will strengthen law enforcement’s approach, such as requiring the reporting of lost or stolen firearms, Governor Wolf’s actions today move us closer to a Commonwealth where residents can live free from the horrific effects of gun violence.”
