Attention Law Enforcement Officers

[Ken Ford]

Lots of departments have automatic tag readers installed on their cars. Those readers run every tag they can "see". No reasonable suspicion or probable cause needed. It’s what you use the info for, like the pretty girl at the light. Or even worse whose car is at your ex's house for the night. That will get you jailed.

There has to be a "law enforcement purpose" that would include checking to see if a weapon might be stolen.

Most departments will do courtesy checks for stolen property, if it can be done for everyone else why could it be illegal for a LEO?

 

[jcarroll]

I traded a rifle I had for a handgun to a Leo that showed up in his squad car. After us both looking at the firearms, and both being satisfied, he asked if I would mind if he ran the serial number, I told him to be my guest. He called the department, hung up the phone and said everything was cool... I picked that rifle up in a trade off of here, so before he made the call I let it be known I got the rifle in a trade.... Phew..

 

[144P&Y]

The law is( for no personal use)-period.If the officer suspects it is stolen,it becomes official.When I leave the job I am still sworn in to uphold the laws of Ga. no matter where I may be.If this officer used police equiptment for personal reasons-and you can prove it-he could face charges.

 

[GaDeadEye]

I don't see the problem with them doing it, I would, to me every job has it's perks, I'm a metal fabricator and make stuff for myself all the time using materials supplied through my job, my boss knows we all do it but as long as we do it on our own time he says nothing about it. It's just a benefit of being a police officer, as long as they are a straight and fair officer when dealing with the public I don't see the issue.

 

[hjblwme]

Here is the way it was when I was working LE.

To use GCIC/NCIC for personal gain (gather a hotties address) is a NO NO. To use it to check information as to whether an item is "lost/stolen" is acceptable as long as the officer has legal control of the item. Meaning that once the trade is complete then it is their personal property and they are allowed to run it. The only information that will come back on ANY serialized item that has not been reported lost, stolen, or wanted is "NO RECORD ON FILE".

 

[woodstock]

A database available to john Q is way overdue.
If I follow your post, information on a weapon is only available to the owner.This implies the database would register guns and owner and personal info.

And it is unclear if anyone can access to run a serial to see if stolen?

The ability to check out a firearms history should be available to all of us in the near future.


Integrated Firearms Information Systems, LLC

Information Technology and Services industry

Gun Trax is a "weapons cataloging and transitional managemant security system" providing succesion identification and resolution of weapons that are lost, stolen, or used/involved in a criminal activity. Specifically the system provides a secured data base only accessed by the weapon's owner to record owners transition of specific weapons. Other than current owner access for transitioning to new owners, or used/involved in a criminal activity but only by weapon serial numberof image of casting/projectile.

 

[Patronus]

Two thoughts:

1 Reclaiming stolen guns is ALWAYS a public service. Whether checking a number is done at the request of private citizens or LEO's makes no difference to me. If the officer wants to check the number at a trade how is it any less a public service. If the cop does NOT check and receives stolen property then the same people who want to cry foul for him checking would scream bloody murder about a cop with a hot gun. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

2. it seems to me that a stolen gun database is like making prank calls to a 911 center. That caller ID can bite you in the ass. If you key in a number and it comes back hot, how much info did you have to put in that tracks it back to you. As mentioned earlier, you MAY be charged with a crime for having it. I would like some assurance that if I am honestly trying to do the right thing, I'm not going to be jailed for it. I know, I know, No good deed goes unpunished. Without some guarantee of amnesty I am not prepared to go volunteering numbers of guns I may have.

 

[Hankspond]

I agree, way over do.
The company was started by a colleague of mine. He applied for a patent for his idea and received within six months where as most patent's take around two years. This tells me this is a relatively new area and few like processes.

How I understand it, there will be a comprehensive list of lost, stolen etc firearms. Not sure if the list will be global or United States only. If you are purchasing a firearm from me, you could go into the website, enter the serial # and for a nominal fee check to ensure the firearm is clean. Secondly, I understand you can go to the website and register your firearms. If lost or stolen and recovered, the registration could get the weapon recovered and returned to you. I'm sure this raises more questions than it answers. There is a lot still kept close to the vest until it goes live. I wish him well on his new venture.

 

[wdawg249]

From a ex-leo (who maintains training) on this issue:
2. You must use GCIC in official buisiness, or you can face huge fines and even loose GCIC. This occured to a Gwinnett SO deputy chief, who ran the tags of the "gentlemen" who visited his "mistriss" and he was fired and fined

Good ole Wayne and Michelle....those were the days.

 

[willr1]

lol,