Gun sellers can now access the FBI’s database of stolen firearms thanks to a new rule issued Monday.
The new rule, signed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, implements parts of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) passed in June 2022. Federal firearms licensees (FFLs) can now search the FBI’s database to determine whether a gun being sold has been reported as stolen before purchasing it, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release. (RELATED: 1,900 US Military Firearms Were Stolen In The Last Decade, Some Were Used In Violent Crimes, AP Report Says)
The rule gives two options for FFLs buying firearms: They can collaborate with law enforcement agencies to search the database for records on a gun, or states can request part of the agency’s stolen gun records and provide them for FFLs in their jurisdiction, the press release explains.
Nationwide, the FBI says a gun is stolen from a car every 15 minutes. Law enforcement in the Bay Area has been pleading with gun owners not to leave their firearms in unlocked cars. https://t.co/hVHml4TEvN
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) June 26, 2024
If an FFL search shows that a firearm was reported as stolen, the seller can report this to a law enforcement agency, the press release reads. This could help officers who are investigating these crimes and potentially stop future violent crimes using the stolen firearms.
Several studies have shown that most of the guns used in violent crimes were obtained illegally.
