NJ attorney general requires law enforcement agencies to share information about firearms used in crimes

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal  issued a directive yesterday requiring all state and local law enforcement agencies to share information regarding the dealers and purchasers of firearms used in crimes in New Jersey.

State and local law enforcement agencies are already required to trace all crime guns recovered in New Jersey. Now they will be required to share the results of such traces with one another for guns originally sold in other states. According to the Attorney General’s office,  the overwhelming majority of guns used in crimes in New Jersey are acquired in other states.

Every state and local law enforcement agency in New Jersey will be required to share information concerning the manufacturer or importer, dealer, and first purchaser for guns recovered from crimes. Officials said the information will enable the New Jersey State Police to identify statewide patterns in sources of guns, and identify unlawful purchasers and bad faith dealers,  so that the state can prosecute straw purchasers and traffickers who illegally transport firearms into New Jersey.

“Combatting firearms trafficking is critical to public safety and law enforcement safety,” Grewal said. “But law enforcement can only reduce gun crime when we work together and today’s unprecedented directive requiring all New Jersey law enforcement agencies to share information on the sellers and purchasers of all crime guns recovered in New Jersey will enable us to bring firearms traffickers to justice. Although firearms crimes are down compared to this time last year, trafficking remains a major problem and this directive gives us a new, strong tool to fight it.”