In Chicago
ATF has rolled out a van that can test guns and shell casings on the spot:
Six months after President Donald Trump threatened to send the feds to Chicago to fix the horrible carnage going on, city officials announced on Monday that theyve been getting some more federal crime-fighting aid in the form of a mobile firearms forensics van thats been roaming the streets for three weeks. The van, which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) first rolled out in May, makes it possible to immediately test guns and shell casings at a crime scene. Its aimed at helping police departments around the country, an ATF spokesperson told Mother Jones.
It’s Chicago. They’ll be busy.
June 27th, 2017 at 4:40 pm
Somehow, I think this is going to lead for another push to have an expended case on file at ATF for every firearm.
Not that it will make any difference in crime stats, but it will put some GS-5 types to work.
June 27th, 2017 at 4:45 pm
Without the gun, what’s the point?
June 27th, 2017 at 5:09 pm
Didn’t the FBI release a report some years ago basically declaring bullet and firearms forensics to be voodoo magic? I could swear there really was such a report.
June 27th, 2017 at 5:26 pm
that’s got to be a terrible assignment for the low guy on the crime lab ladder. “here buddy, drive a big ATF van around the shitty parts of chicago all summer”.
June 27th, 2017 at 6:32 pm
Heh. According to the Second City Cop blog, this van has the same equipment CPD has at their Homan station. Except, the testing equipment runs on 220v, so they can’t use it on scene (can’t afford a generator?). So they drive it to Homan with evidence, where they plug it in and run the tests. Link in nick.
June 27th, 2017 at 10:21 pm
Looks like you need a bigger van.
June 28th, 2017 at 12:39 am
It has “Free Candy” painted on the side.
June 28th, 2017 at 8:13 am
Don’t the lab techs have to testify in court about their findings, and face cross-examination? How soon before the van and personnel are in, say, East St. Louis, and the trials in Chicago need witness testimony?
Can anyone say Public Relations?
June 28th, 2017 at 8:17 am
Yeah, bullet and firearms forensic science, like much of forensic science, isn’t science.
June 28th, 2017 at 9:26 am
Test them to what end? Most guns used in crimes are stolen!
This will be just another big flop.
June 28th, 2017 at 9:54 am
@SPQR, I didn’t realize she had been arrested again.
June 28th, 2017 at 9:55 am
In unrelated news, revolvers see sudden surge in popularity in the Chicago underground.
June 28th, 2017 at 10:03 am
Maybe it’s my grabber paranoia, but it seems to me “it’s aimed at” trying to tie the tools misused by the innocent yoots of Chitown to those nasty heartless merchants of death in other places (is Bloomberg funding involved?).
June 29th, 2017 at 8:48 pm
So they’ll know exactly which stolen gun did it. Whoop dee doo.
Now, if only they had a suspect and could find the stolen gun and who was carrying at that time, they’d solve all their case.
From Hey Jackass who chronicle Chicago’s death toll.
In 333 homicides, here are what they’re doing.
Legal Outcome Homicides
No Suspect Charged 215
Suspect Charged 27
Police-Involved 5
Self-Defense 3
Murder-Suicide 1
In fewer than 10% do they even identify a suspect for this to do any good. Jebus, Canada just got off the ‘tracking cartridges’ idiocy and now we’re doing it?
I wonder how many $millions of our money they’re wasting on this?
June 30th, 2017 at 10:12 am
Veeshir, nah as I referenced above they don’t care about the yoots who shoot or get shot, or even the actual guns, just where they came from; it’s a tracker. Here’s proof that it’s the “merchants of death” they blame and hate and fear so much…you, me, and the NRA.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-new-low-for-the-nra_us_595568ade4b0f078efd9885a
Of course we know it’s not the bangers but they themselves that they’re worried about ending up on the business end of a barrel; they can’t force us if we can kill them and that really pisses them off.