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PURCHASE OF MULTIPLE FIREARMS AS A RISK FACTOR FOR CRIMINAL GUN USE: IMPLICATIONS FOR GUN POLICY AND ENFORCEMENT
Author(s) -
KOPER CHRISTOPHER S.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
criminology and public policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.6
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1745-9133
pISSN - 1538-6473
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9133.2005.00354.x
Subject(s) - law enforcement , enforcement , gun control , business , gun violence , violent crime , poison control , law , suicide prevention , criminology , political science , environmental health , medicine , psychology
Research Summary: The simultaneous or rapid purchase of multiple guns, which is referred to as a multiple sale, is a potential indicator of gun trafficking. This study examines the role of multiple sales in supplying criminals, using longitudinal analysis of the sale and subsequent police recovery of guns sold in Maryland during the early to mid‐1990s. Guns sold in multiple sales accounted for 25% of guns later recovered and had an elevated risk of recovery outside of Maryland, particularly in neighboring Washington, D.C., where handguns are banned. Policy Implications: Federal regulations requiring gun dealers to report multiple sales are prudent, and law enforcement should emphasize these sales in gun trafficking investigations. A 1996 Maryland law restricting handgun buyers to one purchase per month may have produced modest reductions in the flow of guns to criminals in Maryland and particularly in Washington, D.C.