Adopted at the 120th Annual Conference

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

October 23, 2013

Support of the Use of Microstamping Technology

Submitted by: Firearms Committee

FC.019.t13*

WHEREAS, reducing the prevalence of gun crime and gun related homicides in the United States and around the world is a priority of law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, each year many incidents of crime, including homicides, go unsolved due to a lack of evidence in the case; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement agencies are in critical need of additional investigative tools and technologies that would provide accurate and timely intelligence and further leads in investigations of gun crime and give substantial investigatory links; and

WHEREAS, in violent incidents involving firearms, shell casings are often left at crime scenes and law enforcement agencies have no way of identifying these casings; and

WHEREAS, microstamping technology may provide each firearm the ability to stamp that weapons uniquely assigned and identifiable serial number and/or distinctive markings on cartridge casings by way of the firing pin; and

WHEREAS, this technology would be used to help law enforcement identify the first known purchaser of a weapon used in crime, therefore providing leads that would allow for substantial evidentiary information that will help identify, apprehend and arrest criminals; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement executives require definitive and convincing evidence that microstamping technology is field functional, can produce desired results, and has had a cost- benefit analysis performed prior to recommending full implementation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 115th Annual Conference in San Diego, California recommends that funding be made available for further research and field testing on this promising alternative ballistic approach to include: the durability of microstamped marks under various firing conditions; their susceptibility to tampering; field tests by police agencies; as well as a cost-benefit analysis to determine if it is a sound investment/decision (justification/feasibility) as compared to other technologies available to providing links between crime-scene evidence and the original crime weapon; and be it.

FURTHER RESOLVED that the IACP calls on the United States Department of Justice to provide the necessary funding, within this fiscal year, which will allow for the further in-depth research required of microstamping technology.

*The FAC still supports the use of Microstamping (FC.026.a08), however the language has been edited to reflect a need for further advancements and additional research on effectiveness.