ATF tracks guns used in police killings

smettler said on January 3, 2010 at 2:20 PM

Just a couple of things I noticed in the posts; U.S. firearm manufacturers are required to put the serial number on the reciever/frame of the firearm. This means most domestic weapons will have 1 location for a serial number and that number must be visible. European makers fall within the guidelines of their own countries, but it's not uncommon to find multiple numbers on foreign guns. Each individual part on my 1939 P-08 Luger has a serial number. (crazy huh?) The process to raise numbers is pretty simple; drop a little acid over the ground off area and it will etch the compressed area where the number was roll-stamped and hi-light it. Problem is, if you grind down below the compressed area there will be nothing to hi-light. Most agencies don't have the resources in lab equipment that you see on C.S.I., so believe about half of what you see on TV I was a Law Enforcement armorer who serviced/maintained 650 department handguns, rifles, shotguns and full automatic weapons

smettler said on January 3, 2010 at 1:32 PM

This Agent Crenshaw sounds to be a bit of a bloviating buffoon. I wonder why the author of this article left out some very critical information regarding Monfort's criminal past. He asserts that Monfort has an extensive criminal history filled with violence, yet will not reveal what that history is. Further, if he had all this violence in his past, why hadn't the court system in Washington stepped up to the plate and taken responsibility? I hail from the socialist state of Kalifornia and was working as a cop in the area of the infamous Cleveland School massacre. What I've always found to be perplexing and despicable is that the court system here(as well as other jurisdictions obviously) failed to address criminal behavior when they have the chance. The shooter here, Patrick Purdy, also had numerous arrests and a history of violence, yet he was never prosecuted for the acts he committed. Instead, plea bargains, probation etc. When courts fail to do their jobs, people die

dougd said on January 2, 2010 at 1:32 PM

It's always good that law enforcement does their job. But their job isn't to make innocents guilty or make new laws or pursue a personnal agenda. The writer sounds like every other liberal writer. A gun is a living, decision making being bent on world wide destruction. The selective enforcement or non enforcement of law by LEO's and judges is the reason why we are here. If a criminal obeyed the law we would need jails, right? The problem is that some folks are OK with selective law enforcement, they benefit from it. Obama did, Bush did, OJ did! Would we even be commenting if this article hadn't been editorialized? Does anybody see how the Media is complicite with their version of government? Their version isn't usually ours! Tracing is a ticket to abuse of power. Strong enforcement starting before the crime is what will prevent crims from getting guns and killing people. The gun is innocent as are 99.99% of owners.

pause2think said on January 2, 2010 at 12:20 PM

Hubbahead, you wrote: "Write the story when you know the story.” Your frustration may have merit, but... My guess is that news outlets do not withhold information, intentionally. Rather, it seems they provide the updates as they are able to confirm or dismiss the details. No one report can include _all_ of the details. Decades ago, Walter CRONKITE came on the TV with breaking news that John F. KENNEDY had been wounded in Dallas. Ought he have waited for the results of the Warren Commission before mentioning it to us?

asdfasdfasdf said on January 1, 2010 at 5:40 PM

Agent Kelvin Crenshaw obviously does not know the law (or rather, simply does not care). It is not a crime to sell a gun. Nor is the seller even remotely responsible for how a gun is actually used. If that were true, then we could all hold these citizen-killing cops responsible for their actions, and those that sold cops guns too. Everyone should look up the Supreme Court rulings, 7 times as I recall, that cops have NO obligation to protect you and cannot be held responsible for protecting you. In other words you are on your own. Owning and selling guns is not the issue here, no matter what that idiot Crenshaw claims. Always, the bat-fools go after gun owners instead of the real criminals (including themselves).

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mango said on January 1, 2010 at 4:29 PM

dega77, thieves don't use logic or manners, that's why they're thieves. I agree with you that they were in his house and that no one has they right to take his belongings (that still doesn't make a weapon secured) without his permission, but the fact is someone did, and the reason someone did was because they were unsecured ( and again I agree that no one has the right to take his belongings) but if the weapons were secured, theyt probably wouldn't have been stolen. Would you leave your pile of cash on the kitchen counter with a house full of guests? Let's go a step further, if the weapons were in site for a thief to steal, that means that they were in sight for a child to touch...there's my logic

jeepn said on January 1, 2010 at 2:26 PM

Wow I'm surprised how many think its ok to go into someones home and take whatever they want and hold the homeowner responsible! Lets see in your world when I report a theft I would be held liable for not have the requried alarm system and locks on my house to prevent such a thing.....grrrr "I'm sorry sir that someone came into your house and stole the keys to your car, here is your citation for not locking the keys up in a state approved safe. Hope you get your car back someday."....wow.. How about we prosecute the criminals for being criminals..These scumbags shooting our brave men and women of law enforcement should have never been allowed to walk the streets in their natural lifetime. Felon's are not allowed to have firearms to began with so why are they almost never prosecuted for that. The Instant check system last year turned down over 1,000 felons for attempting to buy a firearm and only 18 were prosecuted....unbelievable....

dega77 said on January 1, 2010 at 1:52 PM

mango, brewster's guns were stolen because they weren't properly secured? What kind of logic is that? If those guns were in his home, on his property, they were properly secured and no one has the right to touch them, under any circumstance without his permission. What you assume is that people have the right to go into other people's homes and start snoping through their belongings. That's called bad manners and, in my home, they would be told so and asked to leave!

donttasemebro said on January 1, 2010 at 1:43 PM

Unless you work in law enforcement and know exactly how to retrieve shaved serial numbers, then quiet down, you don't know what you're talking about. Can serials be destroyed? Yes. But more often then not, they are be retrieved. Because criminals are idiots. There are several stampings, marking etc on a gun. And now they are putting them in several places where you can even see it. So... stop talking like you know anything about it.

hillyard said on January 1, 2010 at 1:25 PM

Too many people watching too much television. Serial numbers can be destroyed and unrecoverable. Guns made before the GCA didn't require serials. If cops can't protect themselves, who is going to protect you? Extra Credit: Define "criminal" and how the law applies to them.

mango said on January 1, 2010 at 12:43 PM

brewster, you are so wrong. You can remove a serial number from the surface of a weapon, but I assure you there are other ways to find out where that weapon came from ( serial number or not) If you ever been to a crime lab, you would know that. As for your weapons being stolen and nothing done about it, that could have been for a number of reasons ( lack of manpower, law enforcement didn't follow up etc etc) if your weapons were stolen that might have been because they weren't properly secured ( unless the person knew the combo).

limbwalker52 said on January 1, 2010 at 10:14 AM

It is good to know news. Why tell the public what our strategies on cases that are open for investigations? I would imagine that the rules of engagement on this matter would be the element of Suprise on the rest of the gang involved. They could possibly have a cache of weapons out there and now hiding them elsewheres. I would have rather seen the article wrote after the fact with and outcome of the investigation not to tell the public what is in the works...kinda like telling the Taliban "Hey were coming in tomorrow so be prepared to shoot us!" Come on THINK! How much information are we going to give the enemy...oh and it goes on both sides...those who want to retaliate for revenge. I am sure most of my fellow soldiers out there including high ranking officers are sure not to want their gun rights violated by ???

bettyw said on January 1, 2010 at 9:07 AM

Some thing that is not being remembered is that laws are for law abiding citizens. The criminal dose not care about the law. Even with such a penalty as cutting of the shooting hand they would learn to use the other hand to do the crime and if not then they would cry about being disabled and be on welfare. No amount of laws will stop criminals form doing what ever they want to do.

ginofelino said on January 1, 2010 at 1:32 AM

Yeah, you liberals want to blame guns for the actions of convicted felons but criminals have no use for gun laws! However much you hate the 2nd amendment you must concede that the a police officer 2 miles away can't protect you from a violent criminal 2 feet away, only you can. You only punish law abiding, tax paying, honest citizens when you enact foolish gun legislation.

hubbahead said on January 1, 2010 at 1:17 AM

"It's still unclear where all those guns came from." Write the story when you know the story.

emily_litella said on January 1, 2010 at 12:48 AM

Careless drivers yak, yak, yaking away on the phone kill way more people than guns. "officials said in a research report that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured last year in crashes where at least one form of driver distraction was reported" And you're worried about WHAT?? WHERE is the outrage?? Where is KING 5 on this?? Don't have a cow man!! Holy s-!! If that many people ere were killed by guns....

waak517 said on December 31, 2009 at 11:48 PM

Sounds like the biggest issue is that the judges don't do their part. Happy new year - be safe - call a cab if you have been drinking please.

taxdollarsponge said on December 31, 2009 at 11:10 PM

Condoms stop shootings.

neo_anderson said on December 31, 2009 at 10:33 PM

@brewster: whateva!

brewster said on December 31, 2009 at 9:54 PM

neo_anderson a thief can pretty much take whatever he. or she wants. I think most gun owners are responsible. You don't think most banks are responsible protecting their money? We see bank robberies all the time! A burglar breaking into your home would for sure have access to everything you have. Should a person that has his gun stolen be more responsible than the guy that has his jewelry stolen, and later traded for guns and drugs?

neo_anderson said on December 31, 2009 at 9:45 PM

I think careless gun owners should become responsible also. I hope there will a restriction or requirement as for keeping guns in a safe place at home.

brewster said on December 31, 2009 at 9:30 PM

Dakotonative, you are 100% wrong, any serial number on a gun can be removed, or altered very easy! But in my opinion this issue is pretty much a joke, maybe in the killing of police officers the police will actually do something about tracing the guns. I had several guns stolen from my home 5 years ago, they where stolen by a visitor at my home, a relative of my wife. The theft was reported to the local law enforcement, with receipt on all purchases and serial numbers on each gun. Absolutely nothing was done, the person in question sold the guns to a pawn shop in, or around Lynnwood, the person was never touched by police. Later moved to California where he is still living.

dakotanative said on December 31, 2009 at 7:32 PM

The serial number can never be removed. When the number is stamped into the metal, the layers of metal below the surface are also stamped. Special testing can dig pretty deep and still get the number.

jonjuan said on December 31, 2009 at 6:55 PM

Nice little play on the emotions anti gun article there Eric.

john206 said on December 31, 2009 at 6:13 PM

Please tell me how you can trace a stolen gun with the serial number removed?

californiagirl said on December 31, 2009 at 6:00 PM

Yay ATF and local LEOs -- good job --- put ALL the scumbags responsible for these slayings and injuries away for good!!!!!!!!!!!!