Rochester Reporter

As a part of multi-faceted and continued efforts to address gun violence, Mayor Malik D. Evans on June 9, 2023 released a Gun Trace Data Report compiled by Brady.

The City commissioned the national, nonpartisan organization in late 2021 to conduct an in-depth analysis of firearms used in crimes and recovered by the Rochester Police Department between 2012 and 2022. Brady utilized data from the Rochester Police Department (RPD) and its open data portal, which serves as an open resource for information about RPD crime data.

The 28-page report, redacted by the ATF before its release, provides a high-level overview of crime guns across the country, and dives deeper into details around the 6,036 crime guns recovered in the City of Rochester between 2012 and 2022.

The Tiahrt Amendment to the 2003 federal appropriations bill restricts the ATF from publicly releasing disaggregated gun trace data, which is why Rochester’s report has been redacted.

“This report synthesizes 11 years’ worth of gun trace data,” said Mayor Evans. “I appreciate the work of our police officers and the RPD’s data team, and the work of the Brady team to make this information digestible and actionable.”

“In addition, I want to celebrate the efforts of community leaders – specifically the Roc Against Gun Violence Coalition and City Councilmember Willie Lightfoot – for championing this project through several years,” he said.

Rochester is among a small number of states and cities to release its crime gun trace data.

"We applaud Rochester for leading the initiative in identifying the source of crime guns in their city, and we encourage other cities and localities to follow suit," said Kris Brown, president of Brady. "Gun violence plagues every city and community in the U.S., and local officials need individualized solutions to address this epidemic. This report provides critical information about the characteristics, trends, and gun industry sources of crime guns recovered in Rochester, which is necessary to craft evidence-based solutions.” 

The report notes that, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Report, Rochester’s overall crime rate falls below the national average. However, Rochester’s homicides, especially firearm-involved homicides, rose between 2019 and 2022 — and at a higher rate than many cities of far greater size.

The report illustrates:

• The majority of Rochester’s crime guns come from out-of-state sources 
  • 57% were purchased out-of-state
  • 43% were purchased from dealers within New York State
• A small percentage of firearms dealers sell a disproportionate number of Rochester’s crime guns  
  • The majority of guns recovered by the RPD come from just 10% of dealers, and 28% of crime guns recovered by the RPD were traced to just 1% of the dealers
• Most of the dealers that sold the highest numbers of crime guns are located in Monroe County 
  • Of the crime guns sold by the “top 30” crime gun dealers, 53% came from dealers located in Monroe County; 13% are/were located elsewhere within New York State; and 34% are/were located out-of-state
• Dealers with the most traces tend to be independent businesses, but chain stores are also significant sources of crime guns
• Crime guns circulate long after their dealers go out of business
• Ghost guns are on the rise 

“Although there are currently no gun dealers currently operating within the city of Rochester, the city bears the brunt of the impact of gun violence in our community,” said Councilmember Willie Lightfoot. “This report underlines the importance of partnerships across jurisdictions so we can work together to address the supply side of crime guns.”

In addition, the report identifies those dealers that sold the most guns with a short “time-to-crime" (the time elapsed from retail sale to recovery by law enforcement), and identifies those dealers that sold multiple weapons that were used in homicides in Rochester.

“Even with all the information this gun trace data report provides, it will not solve gun crime in Rochester,” said Mayor Evans. “It is, however, another important piece of the puzzle, and we will use this information along with other tools and strategies to continue our fight against deadly gun violence.”

The City of Rochester continues to leverage its strong working partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement entities, including the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, the ATF, and probation and parole offices.

The new Gun Trace Data Report will be used to inform additional initiatives, and will guide City leaders in advocating for local and state leaders to identify ways to address problematic gun dealers.

Original source can be found here.