LAPD declares 'ghost guns' an 'epidemic,' citing 400% increase in seizures

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The proliferation of homemade "ghost guns" has skyrocketed in Los Angeles, contributing to more than 100 violent crimes this year, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a report released Friday.

 
LAPD declares 'ghost guns' an 'epidemic,' citing 400% increase in seizures
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All I know is, I'm at the point where my life is so haunted by ghosts I can't go to any family member's house without encountering several.
 
Wait… 400% increase of seizures are reported? Stop going after the guns then, so the cops don’t have these seizures anymore. Not funny to need epilepsy meds every time you find a scary, scary ghost gun. Not even around Hallowee.
 
When criminals commit crimes with guns, what the FXXK difference make what kind of a gun it is? Maybe they should have a "Ghost Gun" buy back. $250 cash, no questions asked. Then the Homies will be able to buy "real" guns and the crimes involving ghost guns will go down. Mission accomplished. Jack.
 
So “untraceable" guns (which includes guns with defaced serial numbers, not just unserialized “ghost” guns) have been “linked” to (doesn’t necessarily mean used in) 24 of the 285 murders YTD in LA; so under 9%.

The ATF itself admits that tracing guns by their serial number almost never helps solve the crime they were used in. All they ever use it for is to identify FFLs or straw purchasers who might be involved in illegal gun trafficking. I could not even find any numbers on a gun trace actually helping to solve a violent crime. I’m sure there are some cases where the perpetrator left behind a gun that could be trace to them, but a brief web search did not find a single case where that was the sole link to the perpetrator.

The claim that DIY guns make it easier for criminals to obtain guns is completely bogus. Most criminals get their guns from either illegal straw purchases or illegal gun runners on the black market, where the primary source is theft. So illegal sellers might be supplementing their “inventory” with DYI guns, but that just has the upside of reducing the value of stolen guns. If you eliminated DYI guns, they would just go back to using stolen guns or straw buyers. There would be no impact on the number of prohibited criminals getting their hands on the guns they want.
 
What are the chances the FBI is building ghost guns and giving them to gang bangers to commit crimes so they can juice the stats needed to create this narrative?

OH NO, TIN FOziLzzz!! HAHAzhA!!!





Fast n furious.
 
I wish the media would ask "how many shootings/homicide cases are solved or closed out with firearm serial numbers"? I won't hold my breath.......

I suspect it's less about "solving the crime" than it is about "getting convictions." A serial makes things clearer for the jury, I guess.
 
If some guy can sit still long enough to order an 80% with a valid electronic payment, have a stable address to receive the shipment, have skills and patience enough to procure the tools and parts to mill and assemble the damn thing, he’s probably got enough sense to keep his nose clean and live a productive life.
 
I suspect it's less about "solving the crime" than it is about "getting convictions." A serial makes things clearer for the jury, I guess.
But I would argue that most firearms used in crimes have been stolen, and the serial number is only going to show a connection to the lawful owner, who probably has no connection to the crime. Having worked in LE (communications & reserve officer) I don't think I've ever come across an incident where a serial number gets celebrated as a slam dunk. That's just my perspective though, I haven't gone to court for any gun related cases.
 
But I would argue that most firearms used in crimes have been stolen, and the serial number is only going to show a connection to the lawful owner, who probably has no connection to the crime. Having worked in LE (communications & reserve officer) I don't think I've ever come across an incident where a serial number gets celebrated as a slam dunk. That's just my perspective though, I haven't gone to court for any gun related cases.

I agree with you, but when a prosecutor is negotiating a plea deal with a defense attorney, it's probably an easier sell if he's got a traceable gun... with some evidence it was stolen. He can then hint at needing to go investigate that gun theft if the case goes forward, "and there's no telling where that might lead in terms of your client..."

Ghost guns remove leverage of that sort. Again, I'm just speculating.
 
Yeah. Tracing a gun only seems important because of Law & Order and other shows. “Oh we will just trace that 70 year old gun.”
 
Like you guys all know. If there were serial numbers on the gun all these “victims”
Would still be alive because after the fact they could trace it back to the manufacture and one point of sale not leading them to anybody involved. That’s some solid police work
 
I wish the media would ask "how many shootings/homicide cases are solved or closed out with firearm serial numbers"? I won't hold my breath.......
Howie has been engaged on a never-ending quest
to train Grace to report on news like an ink-stained wretch of old.

Whenever there's an animal story on Police Blotter Fax Friday,
Howie always demands that Grace include the name of the animal -
even if it's a wild animal.

"The alligator ate the poodle".

"What was the alligator's name?"

She started off with answers like "Mister Chompy".
Now she flexes with answers like "Maurice".


The press needs to demand the serial numbers at every
Throw-Down Embroidered Shoulder Patch press conference
where the police are proud of their bust.

The confused flack would go through several emotional stages:
  1. Confusion.
  2. "I'll have to get back to you on that".
  3. "It was built in 1985".
  4. "We don't comment on specific serial numbers".
At Stage Four, you finally punch back with,
"so you admit that it's not a ghost gun".

Of course no actual reporter would do that ever.



The ATF itself admits that tracing guns by their serial number almost never helps solve the crime they were used in. All they ever use it for is to identify FFLs or straw purchasers who might be involved in illegal gun trafficking.
You're leaving out the vital purpose of everyone in the squad room smiling
when they discover the precise identity of the homeowner
whom they will never tell about the recovery of their stolen property.

I suspect it's less about "solving the crime" than it is about "getting convictions." A serial makes things clearer for the jury, I guess.
I agree with you, but when a prosecutor is negotiating a plea deal with a defense attorney, it's probably an easier sell if he's got a traceable gun... with some evidence it was stolen. He can then hint at needing to go investigate that gun theft if the case goes forward, "and there's no telling where that might lead in terms of your client..."

Ghost guns remove leverage of that sort. Again, I'm just speculating.
Yeah. Tracing a gun only seems important because of Law & Order and other shows. “Oh we will just trace that 70 year old gun.”
Those are all hallucinations. It's widely reported that
the CSI franchises have done nothing but made extra work for prosecutors.

Juries now expect to be entertained with tons of scientific forensic evidence.
Preferably including computer graphics where a neon green cursor
makes a beeping noise as it traces out the caption for each slide.

When juries are handed cases with mere eyewitnesses,
they tend to come down with a case of The Reasonable Doubts.

(Note that Wikipedia says that prosecutors believe they are being ill-used,
regardless of whether or not it's actually true).

But I would argue that most firearms used in crimes have been stolen, and the serial number is only going to show a connection to the lawful owner, who probably has no connection to the crime. Having worked in LE (communications & reserve officer) I don't think I've ever come across an incident where a serial number gets celebrated as a slam dunk. That's just my perspective though, I haven't gone to court for any gun related cases.
How often have you seen a serial number celebrated
as an opportunity to return stolen property?
 
Howie has been engaged on a never-ending quest
to train Grace to report on news like an ink-stained wretch of old.

Whenever there's an animal story on Police Blotter Fax Friday,
Howie always demands that Grace include the name of the animal -
even if it's a wild animal.

"The alligator ate the poodle".

"What was the alligator's name?"

She started off with answers like "Mister Chompy".
Now she flexes with answers like "Maurice".


The press needs to demand the serial numbers at every
Throw-Down Embroidered Shoulder Patch press conference
where the police are proud of their bust.

The confused flack would go through several emotional stages:
  1. Confusion.
  2. "I'll have to get back to you on that".
  3. "It was built in 1985".
  4. "We don't comment on specific serial numbers".
At Stage Four, you finally punch back with,
"so you admit that it's not a ghost gun".

Of course no actual reporter would do that ever.




You're leaving out the vital purpose of everyone in the squad room smiling
when they discover the precise identity of the homeowner
whom they will never tell about the recovery of their stolen property.




Those are all hallucinations. It's widely reported that
the CSI franchises have done nothing but made extra work for prosecutors.

Juries now expect to be entertained with tons of scientific forensic evidence.
Preferably including computer graphics where a neon green cursor
makes a beeping noise as it traces out the caption for each slide.

When juries are handed cases with mere eyewitnesses,
they tend to come down with a case of The Reasonable Doubts.

(Note that Wikipedia says that prosecutors believe they are being ill-used,
regardless of whether or not it's actually true).


How often have you seen a serial number celebrated
as an opportunity to return stolen property?

I never saw a party, but I have seen recovered property returned to rightful owners many times.
 
My fav CSI tech foible was some episode of Miami. Finding out after-the-fact that Caruso purposely was overacting made it so much more watchable. I digress.

They are looking for some drug boat in off the coast. They're on a CG boat or something. Looking at a GPS chart of the area. "There are too many boats. How do we know which one is the right one." Caruso says, "Which one is broadcasting? That's our boat."

Ummmmm. . . . . . you're seeing their GPS signatures (which isn't really a thing). THEY'RE ALL BROADCASTING YOU TOOL!!! LOL
 
wake me when it gets to a 4000% increase...
 
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