The battle against ghost guns: how LA County has tried to stop the sale of untraceable firearms
Despite state and local bans on ghost guns, these untraceable firearms have only exploded in popularity across Los Angeles County.
"About 133% increase to show you the proliferation of guns," said Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Kris Pitcher.
The popularity of these weapons has skyrocketed in past years with 813 recovered by LAPD in 2020 compared to 1921 in 2021, an increase of 133%. So far this year, LAPD has confiscated 1058. Pitcher said the number of ghost guns taken off the street has quadrupled in the past five years and attributes the proliferation of these firearms to their sheer availability.
"Those numbers are frightening," said Gascón.
Los Angeles became one of the first cities to pass a law banning not only ghost guns but the buying and selling of their parts and pieces. Four years before the city's ordinance, California rolled out a similar law requiring the registration of ghost guns by engraving serial numbers on them. The state even strengthened its law two months ago, restricting the sale of unserialized ghost gun kits, parts and pieces, similar to L.A.
"It sends a message that weapons without a serial number are not acceptable, said Gascón.
However, the issue continues to persist.
"We're still seeing the issue," said Pitcher.
In the past eight months, ghost guns have been used in nine murders, 31 attempted murders and hundreds of other serious crimes. L.A. County has only used the state law to persecute 42 cases; 22 in 2021 and 11 this year.
However, a new federal regulation similar to California's current laws has given officials a glimmer of hope in the fight against ghost guns
Traditionally, guns sold in the United States must contain a serial number allowing law enforcement to track them if they are used in a crime. However, ghost guns, since they are not technically firearms were not required by the federal government to be serialized. Prior to the regulation, in the eyes of the federal government, they were pieces of metal or in some cases plastic.
On Aug. 24, the new regulation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives changed that.
This new classification requires these weapons to be regulated just like traditional guns wherever they are bought and sold across the country, essentially what was happening in L.A. and California.
With this new regulation, Gascón said that the state can effectively stop internet sales of these weapons by stopping credit card companies from processing illegal transactions.
"90% is on the internet. People paying with Mastercard, Visa or Amex," he said. "It's now a federal crime. Now it's very clear you cannot sell these things anywhere in the country."
The fewer sales could lead to fewer guns on the street and ultimately result in LAPD officers running into fewer ghost guns.
"It basically prevents the ghost guns," said Pitcher. "It won't stop everything, but it will stop a lot."
