Op-Ed: Justice Dept. Study Shows 79% of Criminals Obtained Firearms Illegally

By Jim Kouri, Certified Protection Professional

Dec 1, 2004
MichNews.com

Ninety-five percent of US police commanders and sheriffs believe most criminals obtain their firearms from illegal sources, according to a survey released by the National Association of Chiefs of Police. Coincidentally, data released by the US Department of Justice appears to confirm this claim by our nation's police executives. The DOJ study refutes the conventional wisdom that guns used in criminal acts are purchased at retail stores or gun shows.

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About 18 percent of state prisoners and 15 percent of federal prisoners reported that they were armed when they committed the offense for which they were imprisoned, according to the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics.

In the interviews, an estimated 9 percent of state prisoners and 2 percent of federal prisoners reported that they fired their weapon during the commission of the crime.

The data were obtained from personal interviews with a nationally representative sample of more than 18,000 state and federal prisoners, the largest survey of prison inmates sponsored by the federal government.

Among those who carried a firearm during the offense for which they were sent to prison, about 8 percent of the state and federal prisoners carried a military-style, semiautomatic weapon. These firearms included the UZI, Tec-9, and MAC-10 handguns, the AR-15, and AK-47 rifles and the "StreetSweeper" shotguns. Possession of these models which meet certain criteria as contained in the Federal statute can be unlawful. The firearm most favored by the inmates was a handgun, which was carried by more than 80 percent of the armed inmates.

Among inmates convicted of non-violent crimes, about 8 percent of state prisoners and almost 12 percent of federal prisoners were carrying a firearm at the time of the property, drug or public order offense that resulted in their imprisonment. Of those inmates who were incarcerated for a violent crime – murder, rape, sexual attack, robbery and assault – 30 percent of state prisoners and 35 percent of federal prisoners reported they used or possessed a gun when they committed the offense.

Male offenders, younger offenders, offenders from racial and ethnic minority groups and offenders without prior convictions were the most likely to have been carrying a firearm at the time of the offense. About 15 percent of state offenders who had been on probation or parole prior to their admission to prison reported that they had been armed at the time of the offense that led to their incarceration.

Twenty-seven percent of the state prisoners who victimized a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend were armed while committing the crime, and about 8 percent used a firearm against other relatives, such as children, siblings and other family members.

About 40 percent of state inmates and 56 percent of federal inmates who carried a gun during the offense for which they were incarcerated were given sentence enhancements because of their firearm use. Those carrying firearms also received longer sentences than those without guns. Sentences for state inmates who had firearms averaged 18 years of incarceration, compared to 12 years for those without firearms.

Inmates serving time in state prisons said they obtained their guns from the following sources in percentages:

Purchased from a retail store 8.3%
Purchased at a pawn shop 3.8%
Purchased at a flea market 1.0%
Purchased at a gun show 0.7%
Obtained from friends or family 39.6%
Obtained on the street/illegal source 39.2%

The percentage of inmates who bought their guns from a retail store fell from 21 percent in 1991, when the last such survey was conducted to 14 percent. At the same time the percentage who obtained their firearms from family or friends rose from 34 percent in 1991 to 40 percent.

Sources:
US Department of Justice
National Security Institute
National Association of Chiefs of Police

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