BALLISTIC "FINGERPRINTING" TECHNOLOGY NOT FEASIBLE

California Rifle and Pistol Association ^ | 13 January 2003 | staff

[45Auto]

During the 1999-2000 legislative session, the state legislature instructed the California Department of Justice to prepare a feasibility study on the use of "ballistic imaging" technology (AB 1717 - Hertzberg). That report was to be submitted by June 1, 2001. It still hasn't been presented. Toward the end of 2001, however, a "draft" was released to some firearm dealers, and was obtained by the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) through a public record request. That initial report revealed that a statewide system would be unwieldy and impractical. In it, the California Bureau of Forensic Services concluded that, among other things, attempting to apply ballistic fingerprinting technology to a "mass sampling of manufactured firearms" would cause so many possible matches to be generated that the system would be "impractical," and it would "likely create logistic complications so great that they can not be effectively addressed."

The issue, and the draft report, then gained gained national prominence with the Maryland area "sniper" shootings. A gun ban lobby proposal to establish a ballistics imaging computer database in California was introduced by state Senator Jack Scott (D-Altadena). Attorney General Bill Lockyer downplayed his own department's report, citing a contrary Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (BATF) position on the subject. As reported by FOX news, Lockyer forbid the DOJ experts that wrote the initial report from expressing their professional opinions publicly. The draft report is posted at www.nssf.org.

Last week, DOJ released a new report on the subject to CRPA (Review AB 1717 report - Technical Evaluation: Feasibility of a Ballistics Imaging Database for All New Handgun Sales). This follow-up report was recently completed, at Lockyer's behest, by world renowned ballistics expert Jan De Kinder, Head of the Ballistics Section of the National institute of Forensic Sciences for the Belguim Department of Justice. The new report confirms the findings of the DOJ's own initial draft report, and finds fault with the ATF's criticisms of the DOJ draft report. The new report confirms the first report's conclusion that the technology is unreliable and the database infeasible. It can be reviewed at www.crpa.org.

Initial requests by CRPA and several media outlets to DOJ for De Kinder's report were denied, but apparently only because the requests were being reviewed at the DOJ's highest levels. (Contrary to CRPA's earlier release, which announced a DOJ cover-up). The release of the report was approved recently, and the De Kinder report is now available from DOJ.

By draining resources away from other law enforcement needs and making it costly for law-abiding citizens to own guns, ballistic fingerprinting could end up actually increasing crime. The California DOJ report also warned that "firearms that generate markings on cartridge casings can change with use and can also be readily altered by the users." A ballistic "fingerprint" is actually less like a human fingerprint than it is like the tread on a car tire. Brand-new tires are essentially identical, so new-tire tracks at crime scenes leave investigators with limited information. Unless there happens to be a particular imperfection, only the brand and model of the tire can be identified. Likewise, when a bullet is fired from a new gun, investigators can typically identify only the type of ammunition and the type of gun. As with tires, over time friction causes the barrel to wear. The greatest friction on a gun occurs when the gun is first fired -- and that dramatically reduces the usefulness of recording the gun's ballistic fingerprint when it is newly purchased. Moreover, barrels can be easily changed. And scratching part of the inside of a barrel with a nail file would alter the bullet's path down the barrel and thus change the markings. So would putting toothpaste on a bullet before firing it. Ballistic fingerprinting faces other serious difficulties as well.

[45Auto]

Since the agenda of the Cal commie legislature is to achieve a total gun ban, then why would they pay any attention to these reports? They DON'T CARE that the technology won't work, because the intent of the law has nothing whatever to do with addressing crime.

[blackdog]

Why not just keep one barrel for killing people, and one barrel for the record? Or just kill people with a shotgun?

Sounds good, soundbite legislation will be the death of us all.

[Joe Brower]

[Joe Brower]

[Joe Brower]

Interesting. Posts to the "bang_list" no longer show up under group number 152 unless you put an asterisk ("*") in front of "bang_list".

Let me guess -- some brilliant soul registered on FR under the name "bang_list".

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Of course- the intent of silly laws like this is to raise the price of guns and ammunition, as part of an overall strategy of disarming the "commoners".

[45Auto]

Lockyer will continue to "study" this issue until he gets the results he wants. I would not put money down on a bet that says these vermin won't put this into law.

[.38sw]

As a result of some of the new laws being passed, the local sporting goods store has stopped selling handguns. They said it was too much hassle. Others I mentioned it to who had been in there got a little different story: it was due to the law signed last year that removed the lawsuit immunity of gun manufacturers and dealers. However, I'm not sure that's entirely the case, since they are still selling rifles and shotguns. Although, I didn't see any of eeeeevil black guns there. One way to disarm people is to make it more difficult for people to obtain firearms, along with being more expensive.

[justshe]

I don't feel like contributing today.
~~~ Wait until you see "Unable to locate server"

I don't have money.
~~~Help with the fundraiser. Bump the threads, ping your FRiends.

There's plenty of time to donate.
~~~Bill collectors don't see it that way.

I don't know where to contribute.
Donate Here By Secure Server
Or mail checks to
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
or you can use
PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com

I've got too many other things to do first.
~~~Don't we all?

I can't contribute much, what's five dollars?
~~~If everyone contributed one dollar a month, we'd never have a fundraiser again.

The dog ate my credit card.
~~~Shoot the dog.

Just let me finish freeping.
~~~BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Don't wait until it's too late. Do it today. Do it now!
Free Republic is funded solely by us. It's up to us to keep it running.
Do your part, contribute if you can.
Bump the fundraising threads. Help keep this place alive!

STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD