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BJA Firearms Trafficking Program: Demonstrating Effective Strategies to Control Violent Crime

NCJ Number
166818
Author(s)
J Veen; S Dunbar; M Reuland; J Stedman
Date Published
1997
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This bulletin describes the Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA) Firearms Trafficking Program, which was created in fiscal year 1993 to address the firearms trafficking problem in the United States.
Abstract
The program is designed to help State and local governments reduce incidents of violent crime by reducing the availability and illegal trafficking of firearms. The program currently funds support for nine demonstration projects and the Interstate Firearms Trafficking Compact. The program has four components that BJA has found to be effective or promising: the Firearms Licensee Compliance Program, the Firearms Investigative Task Force Program, the Innovative Firearms Program, as well as the Interstate Firearms Trafficking Compact. One of the program goals is to enhance the ability of State and local law enforcement agencies to conduct more comprehensive background investigations of applicants for new or renewal Federal Firearms Licenses and ensure that individuals who obtain the licenses have a legitimate reason for doing so. A second goal is to identify, target, investigate, and prosecute individuals and dismantle organizations involved in the unlawful use, sale, or acquisition of firearms in violation of State and Federal laws. Another goal is to reduce the level of firearms-related violent crime in the demonstration sites. This bulletin describes the Firearms Licensee Compliance programs in Oakland, Calif., and New York City, as well as the Firearms Investigative Task Force programs in Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Also profiled are innovative firearms programs in Santa Ana, Calif., Chicago, and New Orleans. The bulletin concludes with a description of the Interstate Firearms Trafficking Compact, which is a BJA-funded "train-the-trainers" program that provides training in 14 States and the District of Columbia.