Chicago Sun-Times: Gun tracing is key in war on violence

This is a copy of an article that originally appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times on July 28, 2013. A copy of the article can be found here.

The City of Chicago is in a war against illegal guns, and we're losing. Cops in Chicago are recovering illegal guns at nine times the rate of cops in New York City, but they just keep coming. We need to stop the flood of illegal guns at its source: gun traffickers.

Gun tracing is one of the most effective tools law enforcement has to go after gun traffickers. With only the manufacturer, the model and the serial number of a gun, they can trace a weapon back to its first sale and find out how it ended up in the hands of a criminal. We already have a federal system in place to help law enforcement agencies trace guns, and the police in Chicago use it every day.

Unfortunately, less than a third of our nation's police departments use the federal gun tracing system. To stop the violence, we must encourage greater participation. Sen. Durbin and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart are right: tying federal COPS grant funds to participation provides the right incentive. We should also make it easier for law enforcement to trace weapons by passing the Trafficking Reduction and Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act, which I introduced this year. The TRACE Act would require a second, hidden serial number on all newly manufactured guns and allow law enforcement to use trace data in civil proceedings to revoke the license of a gun dealer caught breaking the law.

We can stop this senseless violence, but we cannot do it alone. Promoting gun tracing around the country is an important first step.

Congressman Mike Quigley, Illinois' 5th Congressional District