N.Y. gun database has yet to lead to prosecutions

Associated Press
September 28, 2008

ALBANY, N.Y. – New York’s 7-year-old database of handgun “fingerprints” has yet to lead to a criminal prosecution, and questions linger about its effectiveness. Still, state police remain committed to the database, saying more time and a long-awaited link to a federal ballistics database could bring success.

Since March 2001, identifying information about more than 200,000 new pistols and revolvers sold in New York have been entered into the Combined Ballistic Identification System database maintained by state police. New York and Maryland are the only two states that maintain statewide databases.

New guns are test fired, and the minute markings the guns make on the shell casings are recorded and entered into the digital database.

Proponents say the markings are as unique as fingerprints and can be compared against shell casings found at crime scenes. The results as of August: 209,239 casings entered into New York’s database, 7,124 inquiries and two hits.

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