Proposal would require annual report on gun seizures
A new proposed law for the city would require Boston Police to put together an annual report about gun seizures, looking to get info about where the weapons are from and how they got here.
“Gun violence is an important issue not only in our city, but also for our nation,” City Council President Ed Flynn, the legislation’s sponsor, said said in a statement. “We need to address gun violence on multiple fronts, and it’s critical that we work together to stop the illegal flow of firearms into our neighborhoods.”
The proposal is on the agenda to be introduced during Wednesday’s council meeting, when it would be assigned to a committee for further hearings.
Flynn’s proposal calls this a “A comprehensive study and review of the flow of firearms into the City of Boston” that would “help law enforcement and policymakers better understand the impact of illegal gun trafficking, and this data will help craft strategies to reduce gun violence.”
Basically, the city’s police department every year would need to compile and provide data for each firearm seized by or surrendered to cops, including whether each weapon was connected to a crime, where it’s from, the location of the seizure, the type of firearm and the dealer of the gun and whether they were licensed. It would also require details about whether it’s a “Ghost” gun — with the serial number defaced — or one that’s been 3-D printed.
The police also would have to provide “A review of the ways firearms are illegally transported into the city, including through roadways on and connected to the interstate and sea ports or bodies of water.”