Firearms in California may be fingerprinted

California gun dealers may be required to submit ballistics information on every gun they sell if Assembly Bill 1717 continues to gain committee approval.

The bill, which passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee Tuesday, would take advantage of the merging of two national ballistics databases and catalog information on any new gun sold in California, said Joe Byrne, legislative consultant to Assemblyman Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys.

AB1717 was a collaboration between Hertzberg and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Bernard Parks.

"Imagine if every bullet and shell casing left at the scene of a crime could be traced to the gun's owner -- that's what ballistic fingerprints can do," said Hertzberg in a press release.

Ballistic fingerprinting is a gun's unique marking on every bullet and cartridge fired from it.

Some California law enforcement agencies currently utilize two unique computer ballistic systems. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI have signed an agreement to merge their two incompatible systems by 2002, Byrne said.

"They want to get one that is universal," Byrne said. "The hope is that there is information sharing."

The next committee to assess AB1717 is the state Department of Justice. This committee would begin evaluating the federal system, Byrne said.

"By having manufacturers required to submit ballistic fingerprints of each gun it would increase the world of guns to the system," Byrne said.

If the system passes a Department of Justice evaluation, it would be mandatory for gun manufactures and importers to submit ballistic signatures of each weapon before sold according to the press release.

Some are skeptical about the effectiveness of the AB 1717.

"The total gun issue needs to be addressed, until we ban the sale and manufacturing of guns in America, violence won't stop," said Cal State Long Beach Chief of Police Jack Pearson. "I'm neutral on the issue, it can't hurt and it might weed out some people."

The ballistics system would only be effective in regard to tracing guns that are submitted to the system after the bill is passed. Information on all new guns purchased through a dealer will be submitted according to the bill. Black market guns and guns sold by private owners would not fall under AB 1717, according to Byrne.

AB 1717 is supported by a variety of organizations including Women Against Gun Violence, the Legal Community Against Gun Violence, Handgun Control Inc., Orange County Citizens for the Prevention of Gun Violence and the Los Angeles County District Attorney.