Southern states lead in illegal gun trafficking

According to a new report, 10 states are responsible for the majority of the illegal guns shipped across state lines for use in crimes.

According to a new report, 10 states are responsible for the majority of the illegal guns shipped across state lines for use in crimes.

Nearly one in every three guns traced by federal agents in 2006 and 2007 during crime investigations was purchased in a state other than where the crime was committed, the report, The Movement of Illegal Guns In America: The Link between Gun Laws and Interstate Trafficking indicates.

The 40-page, state-by-state analysis traced data over the last two years released by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The report, conducted by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and released Dec. 5, concluded that states that supply guns that are used in interstate crime at the highest rates have comparatively weak gun laws.

The top sources for guns used in crimes in another state were Georgia, Florida, Texas, Virginia, California, Ohio, North Carolina, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Alabama.

The researchers looked at per-capita exports of guns to determine which states were excessive suppliers of them.

With population sizes factored in, southern states led the pack.

West Virginia was the top exporter, with 41 illegal guns per 100,000 residents. Mississippi followed closely behind with 39 guns per 100,000 and South Carolina at 31. The national average was 11 guns per 100,000 residents.

Also, the average rate of fatal police shootings among states with the highest gun export rates was nearly three times that of the 10 states with the lowest export rates.

“Well, I have a problem with the term ‘illegal guns’ because in truth, there is no such thing,” said James Dark, executive director of the Texas State Rifle Association.

“There are only legal and illegal owners. I think it is tough to try to correlate guns laws to these crimes that are being committed because the ATF once reported that over 50 percent of criminals interviewed confessed to stealing the guns. What does that have to do with the gun laws?” Dark said.

Based on discussions with mayors, policymakers, and current and former federal, state and local law enforcement officials, the report examined five gun laws and the differences in crime gun export rates.

It recommended closing the “gun show loophole” or requiring universal background checks, purchasing permits for all handgun sales, mandatory reporting of lost and stolen guns to law enforcement, stronger state laws that allow local government to regulate firearms and gun dealer inspections as solutions to the problem.  Special to the NNPA from the Final Call

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Copyright 2009 NNPA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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