New gun rules take aim at reducing crime but 'ghost guns' remain rare find for North Texas police
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - New federal gun rules go into effect Wednesday targeting untraceable firearms, often called 'ghost guns'.
The feds hope the new rules will combat the use of 'ghost guns' in violent crime but, with just days remaining until new federal rules take effect, there has been a rush to sell off these soon-to-be regulated gun parts.
The new rules require unfinished gun frames and receivers, used to make homemade firearms, to be regulated. Under the new rules, these gun parts must have a serial number so law enforcement can trace them if used in a crime and a background check must be completed before a sale.
Currently, anyone can buy 'ghost gun' parts online without a background check.
"People who shouldn't have guns, like felons, the people who are committing domestic violence, and people that have some type of mental history, they can go online and buy these guns right off the Internet," said Arlington Police Chief Al Jones.
Police departments in Arlington, Dallas, and Lewisville told the CBS 11 I-Team they've seen an increase in 'ghost guns' in the past year, but the untraceable firearms make up a tiny fraction of the total number of guns their departments recover.
So far this year, Dallas police said it has recovered three times as many 'ghost guns' from crimes in 2022 (45 – 'ghost guns') than it did in all of 2020 (14 – 'ghost guns').
"We are starting to see more and more," said Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia. "But it's less than half of a percentage point and so here we have violent crime and shootings that are being committed at a larger rate and a larger percentage with weapons that have been already legally manufactured."
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), nearly all 'ghost guns' recovered at crime scenes — more than 99% — can't be traced at all. Nationwide, the number of 'ghost guns' used in crimes has increased 1,000% since 2016, though they still make up just 3% of all guns recovered by police.
Chief Garcia said the new federal rules may not make a huge impact on gun violence in Dallas but said every little bit helps.
Many Texas gun owners, however, believe the new rules will not help at all.
"I don't think you are going to see a reduction in crime with what they are doing," said Wes Virdell, the Texas director of the gun-right organization, Gun Owners of America (GOA).
Virdell said the new federal rules on 'ghost guns' will result in more paperwork for gun owners who want to make homemade firearms but will do little to stop criminals wanting an untraceable gun, noting they will still be able to make their own guns using a 3-D printer or can scratch out a serial number on an existing gun.
"Gun laws only work for law-abiding citizens." Virdell said. "A criminal is going to do something if they want to do it anyways. I think people are still going to make 'ghost guns' afterwards. They are just going to push it to a black market."
Texas is one of 17 states, along with the GOA, that have joined a lawsuit against the Biden administration over these proposed rules. It's unclear if the judge will rule on the case before the new rules go into effect on August 24th.
