Illinois has some of the nation’s strictest gun laws.
However, firearm legislation in neighboring states has a significant impact on Illinois.
Despite the restrictions and regulations in place, gun trafficking still poses a problem.
Last week, the Chicago Police Department reported it collected more than 8,500 illegal guns off the street, suggesting that the flow of illegal firearms in Illinois is continuous.
“It’s a constant problem. However, it’s one that’s growing. So I think we’re on track this year for more than 12,000 firearm recoveries here in the city of Chicago,” said Christopher Amon, special agent in charge for the ATF Chicago Field Division. “One of the things we do at ATF is collaborate on this problem, to try to stop that flow, but also to address the violent crime.”
The ATF collaborates with several federal, state and local law enforcement agencies including CPD to develop solutions and preventative tactics to stop the constant flow of illegal guns in the state.
Studies conducted by the University of Chicago Crime Lab focus on specific trends to better explain the high number of trafficked guns.
“We’ve looked at the data a few times, partnered with the Chicago Police Department, the city of Chicago mayor’s office, really trying to understand where these guns are coming from,” said Kim Smith, director of national programs and external engagement at the University of Chicago Crime Lab. “When we look at the data, we see that 40% of illegal firearms actually originate from Illinois, a lot of them from suburban Cook County, but 60% are coming from other states, neighboring states.”
In 2014 and 2017, the city of Chicago released reports illustrating how illegal guns enter the region. Some of the key findings showed the majority of illegally used or possessed firearms recovered in Chicago are traced back to states with less regulation.
The Giffords Law Center gives Illinois an A- for having some of the nation’s strictest gun laws. As for our neighbors, Wisconsin gets a C and Indiana a D-. Iowa, Missouri and Kentucky all score Fs.
“The work that was done in 2014 and 2017, I think, is something that many other cities and states even have looked to and replicated, so I would hope to see a continuation of that in the future,” Smith said.
There’s no confirmation whether these studies will continue in the future.
Once weapons enter the region, they circulate in neighborhoods with high levels of violence and crime. Members of these communities work to prevent acts of violence from a different angle.
“I think we got to continue to invest more money into violence prevention programs,” said Cobe Williams, director of Cure Violence Global and author of “Interrupting Violence.” “I look at a person like myself and a lot of my colleagues and everybody who I work with all over the world doing violence prevention. We see a big impact in reducing shooting and killing in the community.”
Williams went from being incarcerated to speaking publicly and encouraging people locally and nationally to solve the gun violence crisis with more community engagement. His message is grounded in building relationships, changing the mindset and behavior of those exposed to violence, and ultimately, “meeting them where they are at.”
The ATF is currently using the crime gun intelligence strategy to find those using the firearms and address the sources of gun crimes. The strategy involves two databases that allow law enforcement agents to trace the firearm back to its original source.
“Crime gun intelligence helps us focus our efforts, too, on Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL) that we need to inspect who may be sources of crime guns, individuals who may be sources of crime guns, who are dealing without a license outside of that whole process,” Amon said.
The conversation continues Wednesday at noon at the City Club of Chicago in an event titled “Crime, Guns & Solutions: What Are We Doing to Stop the Flow of Illegal Guns in Illinois?” moderated by Brandis Friedman of WTTW News and hosted by The Joyce Foundation in collaboration with WTTW.
