Illinois launches statewide gun trace database to combat illegal firearm trafficking

The Chicago Sun-Times | By Andy Grimm

Jun 29, 2022

Illinois law enforcement agencies will pool information on guns used in crimes across the state, building a database that will allow police to better track the trafficking of illegal guns, state Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Wednesday at a news conference in Chicago.

Police departments can opt in the newly launched Crime Gun Connect platform developed by the Attorney General’s office with help from Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun safety advocacy organization.

So far, more than 200 law enforcement agencies in the state have agreed to upload information about weapons and ballistics evidence from crimes, including information from state police and gun trace data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms’ eTrace system.

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Image: Elizabeth Rymut/Sun-Times