City of Rochester
News Release
(Friday,
June 9, 2023) – As a part of
multi-faceted and continued efforts to address gun violence, Mayor Malik D.
Evans today released a Gun Trace Data Report compiled by Brady.
The City commissioned the national, nonpartisan
organization in late 2021 to conduct an in-depth analysis of firearms used in
crimes and recovered by the Rochester Police Department between 2012 and 2022.
Brady utilized data from the Rochester Police Department (RPD) and its open data portal, which
serves as an open resource for information about RPD crime data.
The 28-page report, redacted by the ATF before its
release, provides a high-level overview of crime guns across the country, and dives
deeper into details around the 6,036 crime guns recovered in the City of
Rochester between 2012 and 2022.
The Tiahrt Amendment to the 2003 federal
appropriations bill restricts the ATF from publicly releasing disaggregated gun
trace data, which is why Rochester’s report has been redacted.
“This report synthesizes 11 years’ worth of gun
trace data,” said Mayor Evans. “I appreciate the work of our police officers
and the RPD’s data team, and the work of the Brady team to make this
information digestible and actionable.”
“In addition, I want to celebrate the efforts of
community leaders – specifically the Roc Against Gun Violence Coalition and
City Councilmember Willie Lightfoot – for championing this project through
several years,” he said.
Rochester is among a small number of states and
cities to release its crime gun trace data.
"We applaud Rochester for leading the
initiative in identifying the source of crime guns in their city, and we
encourage other cities and localities to follow suit," said Kris Brown,
president of Brady. "Gun violence plagues every city and community in the
U.S., and local officials need individualized solutions to address this
epidemic. This report provides critical information about the characteristics,
trends, and gun industry sources of crime guns recovered in Rochester, which is
necessary to craft evidence-based solutions.”
The report notes that, according to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Report, Rochester’s overall crime
rate falls below the national average. However, Rochester’s homicides,
especially firearm-involved homicides, rose between 2019 and 2022 — and at a
higher rate than many cities of far greater size.
The report illustrates:
- The majority
of Rochester’s crime guns come from out-of-state sources
- 57% were purchased out-of-state
- 43% were purchased from dealers within New York
State
- A small percentage
of firearms dealers sell a disproportionate number of Rochester’s crime guns
- The majority of guns recovered by the RPD come from
just 10% of dealers, and 28% of crime guns recovered by the RPD were traced to
just 1% of the dealers
- Most of the
dealers that sold the highest numbers of crime guns are located in Monroe
County
- Of the crime guns sold by the “top 30” crime gun
dealers, 53% came from dealers located in Monroe County; 13% are/were located
elsewhere within New York State; and 34% are/were located out-of-state
- Dealers with
the most traces tend to be independent businesses, but chain stores are also
significant sources of crime guns
- Crime guns
circulate long after their dealers go out of business
- Ghost guns
are on the rise
“Although there are currently no gun dealers
currently operating within the city of Rochester, the city bears the brunt of
the impact of gun violence in our community,” said Councilmember Willie Lightfoot.
“This report underlines the importance of partnerships across jurisdictions so
we can work together to address the supply side of crime guns.”
In addition, the report identifies those dealers
that sold the most guns with a short “time-to-crime" (the time elapsed
from retail sale to recovery by law enforcement), and identifies those dealers
that sold multiple weapons that were used in homicides in Rochester.
“Even with all the information this gun trace data
report provides, it will not solve gun crime in Rochester,” said Mayor Evans. “It
is, however, another important piece of the puzzle, and we will use this
information along with other tools and strategies to continue our fight against
deadly gun violence.”
The City of Rochester continues to leverage its strong
working partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement entities,
including the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, U.S.
Marshals Service, the ATF, and probation and parole offices.
The new Gun Trace Data Report will be used to inform
additional initiatives, and will guide City leaders in advocating for local and
state leaders to identify ways to address problematic gun dealers.
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