Baltimore reported 352 ghost guns seized last year, with Washington, DC reporting more than 400 in 2021, up from 25 in 2018. Similar steep increases are apparent in other cities. Just five years prior in 2016, ghost guns made up less than 1% of total gun seizures. Police in San Francisco seized 1,089 guns in 2021, about 20% of which were ghost guns. Several cities have reported sharp increases in the number of ghost guns recovered over time – and while they make up a relatively small percentage of the total number of guns recovered by law enforcement, that share is growing. There is no background check required to purchase the parts needed to assemble a firearm at home, which can be done in less than an hour, and often at a low cost.ĭata shows that these guns have been involved in shootings and found at crime scenes with increasing frequency. Law enforcement officials and gun violence prevention groups have sounded the alarm on the fast-growing threat of unregulated ghost guns. Here’s what we know, and don’t know, about guns in the United States - and how better data could provide a key to understanding and reducing violent crime. Notably, last year’s total includes at least 706 assault weapons, which the CPD said was 62% higher than the number recovered in 2020.Įxperts say that increasing numbers of firearms and the difficulty tracking the true scope of both legally and illegally owned guns make it challenging to address gun violence effectively. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) recovered more than 12,000 guns in 2021, up from 11,397 in 2020, including guns recovered through buyback programs and other voluntary means. In Philadelphia, for example, police last year recovered 5,920 crime guns - a gun used or suspected of being used in a crime - the highest in at least a decade. Not all cities distinguished between guns recovered from crime scenes and those recovered from voluntary efforts, such as a gun buyback program, but the increases are indicative of growing numbers of firearms in America. Of the eight cities that responded with data through the end of 2021, all recorded more gun recoveries last year than in 2020, with several reaching highs not seen in at least a decade. A CNN analysis showed that more than two-thirds of the country’s most populous cities recorded more homicides in 2021 than the previous year, with at least 10 setting all-time homicide records – with the majority committed with a firearm.ĬNN requested data on gun seizures and recoveries from police departments in over a dozen of America’s largest cities. The high volume of guns recovered comes as the country has seen a surge of gun violence since the onset of the pandemic. Adams said in the press conference that police had recovered more than 6,000 guns in the city last year. In New York, police made 4,497 gun arrests in 2021, up 3% from 2020 but a 26% rise from 2019. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) David Dee Delgado/Getty Images Rivera and fellow Officer Wilbert Mora were shot Friday night while responding to a domestic violence call between a woman and her adult son. NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 23: New York City Mayor Eric Adams (C), Police Commisioner Keechant Sewell (2nd L) and police union leader Patrick Lynch await the remains of Officer Jason Rivera at his funeral on Januin New York City. “We are removing thousands of guns off our streets, and it appears as though for every gun we remove from the street, five are coming in. “We have to stop the flow of guns,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a press conference on January 24. Many police departments also reported recovering high numbers of “ghost guns” - untracked and untraceable firearms that are often bought online and assembled at home. Law enforcement agencies in some of the country’s biggest cities seized or recovered near decade-high numbers of firearms in 2021, according to data provided to CNN. The tragedy highlighted a growing concern about the seeming flood of firearms across America. According to authorities, the suspect used a Glock 45 that was stolen in Baltimore in 2017, prompting city and state officials to call for stronger measures against gun violence and gun trafficking across state lines. Earlier this month, two NYPD officers were killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call.
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