If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. , - -~ - .. - ~-~-~---~- ,( .. ~ • • • • I-~~~---C-~-~-~ !.. I· r!r-/ I I I I .x. ~" I . Guide to 1J(linois Firearm Data November 1980 I By Carolyn Rebecca Block I Statistical Analysis Center CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS I J. David Coldren, Director I ILLINOIS LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION Daniel W. Weil, Chairman I William Holland, Acting Executive Director I 74128 I U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the person or organization originating It. Points of view or opinions stat?d I in this document are those of the authors and do not necessanly represent the official position or policies of the National Institute of Justice. Permission to reproduce this copyrighted material has been granted by I Illinoi~ Law Enforce~ent Commission NCJRS I to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system requires permis­ sion of the copyright owner I ACQUISITIONS I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Printed by authority of the State of Illinois November 1980 Number of Copies: 300 I Printing Order Number: 81-05 I; I .; I, I I ------------------------------- -------- I I I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I This report could not have been written without the I help and cooperation of Paul H. Blackman, David Bordua, Dale Farmer, Sergeant Tony Figlioli, Brad Hayes, Captain I Robert Latham, and Sergeant Donald E. Smite, Statistical I Analysis Center staff read the report and made helpful suggestions, Wanda Sauerman typed it, and Olga McNamara I coordinated the distribution and printing. I I I I I I I I I I 1. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ii I I I I TABLE OF CONTENTS I Acknowledgements . ~ I Table of Contents iii Tables and Exhibits iv Introduction I I Firearm Owner Data 3 State of Illinois 3 I The Bordua Surveys 6 I Other Sources of Firearm Owner Data 7 Firearm Data 11 I Bordua Surveys . 11 Federal Data 11 I Chicago Gun Confiscation Da.ta 17 I Chicago Gun Registration Data 21 Peoria Handgun Registration Data 27 I Firearms and Crime 31 I Victim Surveys 31 Police-Level Data 32 I Additional Sources of Information 35 I Appendix A - Illinois Firearms Owners Law 37 Appendix B - Example of an ATF Firearms Transaction Record 43 I Appendix C - Municipal Codes Regarding Firearms in Illinois Municipalities 47 I Appendix D - Chicago Firearm Registration Law 73 I Bibliography 77 iii I -.....:..------:.:... ---------:------'----~------ ~------------- I TABLES I I Page 1. Completion Rates of the Illinois Firearm I Owners Surveys . 8 2. Firearm Ownership: 1976 and 1977 Surveys Combined 9 I 3. Effect of Firearm Registration on Weapons Received as Turn-In 18 I 4. Firearms Confiscated, by Offense 20 5. Chicago Firearms: New Registrations 24 I 6. Chicago Firearm Registration "Hits" . 26 I I EXHIBITS I A Firearm Owners Identific'ltion Card Application Form 4 B Summary of ATF Firearm Dealer Regulations 12 I C Chicago Gun Registration Form 22 I D Peoria Gun Registration Form 28 I I I I I iv I I ---_..:......_-------------------_._--_._---- .._ .. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I v I II I I I I I· I I I- I I I I I I I vi I I I I I INTRODUCTION I The Illinois Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) works to improve the quality and availability to users of Illinois criminal justice I data. SAC rece1ves daily requests from users for sources of data on I crime, the criminal justice system, and other variables, such as popu- lation, that users analyze in combination with criminal justice data. I Recently; SAC has received a number of requests for sources of Illinois firearm data, especially for data on firearm availability. I In response to,these requests, we have investigated sources of various I types of firearm data, the quality of that data, and the availability to users. The results of that investigation appear in this report. Although our most common 4ser request has been for sources of firearm availability data, for example, the number and types of fire- I arms mvned, data also exis t on the number and characte:.:istics of people I wh a own f"1rearms,· and' on cr1mes t h at were comm1tte. d'uS1ng a f'1rearm. 1 This "Guide to Illinois Firearm Data" discusses the sources of all I, these kinds of data. A firearm, according to the United States Code (Title 18, Ch.44, I Sec.921,§3) is (A) any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is de­ signed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile I by the action of an explosive; (B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon; (C) any firearm muffller or firearm silencer; or I CD) any destructive device. 2 Such term does not include an antique firearm. I lIllinois manufacturing data do not exist because, although there are over 6000 registered firearm dealers in Illinois, there is no major firearm manufacturing firm. 2 . d" I' I Ad estruct1ve eV1ce 18 an exp oS1ve, such a~ a bomb or grenade. 1 I I 2 The definitions of some common types of firearm are the following: I • Revolver, a handgun with a revolving cylinder containing sev­ eral cartridges so.that it can be fired in quick succession I without reloading. • Rifle, a long shoulder gun with grooves cut into the inner surface of the barrel. I • Shotgun, a long smoothbore gun used for firing a charge of small shot at short range. I • Automatic Pistol, a handgun in which the chamber is part of the barrel. (Webster's New World Dictionary) I • Other types of firearms include derringers, antique weapons, and so on. I ,r This "Guide" is divided into three sections, each dealing with a f'Il o type of firearm data--data on firearm owners, data on firearm availa- I i jbility, and data on firearms and crime. There is a variety of public and private sources for each type of data, and the quality of and ease of access to the data vary widely. Some data are collected and main- I tained only in certain cities or for ce~tain years. In this guide, SAC tries to lead the user through this sometimes confusing maze of I sources. I I I I I I I I I FIREARM OHNER DATA I State of Illinois The Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Section of the Illinois I Department of Law Enforcement in Springfield registers firearm owners, I but not the firearms they own. It maintains a confidential file, with yearly historical data available beginning in 1970, of the name, sex, -I date of birth, height, weight, color of eyes, color of hair, address, date of registration and date of card expiration of each registrant I (Exhibit A). It also keeps a list of all lost and stolen firearm owner I cards. It does not keep any information on the number or type of gunes) owned by card-holders. I Under Illinois law (Ill.Rev.Stat.Ch.38,§83; see Appendix A), people who have been released from a prison or a mental institution or I have been convicted of a felony in the previous five years may not own I a firearm. The federal law is stricter. Under federal la,,,, people who have ever been convicted of a felony may not own a gun. Therefore, a I person who has been released from prison more than five years previ­ ously may receive an Illinois firearm owner's registration card, but I still may not own a firearm under federal law. Businesses, as well as individuals, may own firearms in Illinois. I However, the individual in the business who is responsible for the I firearm must be a registered gun-owner, and must fill out an FOlD application, giving the business's name and address. The FOlD Section I calls this a "business card." A person who is a registered firearm business card holder must also have a personal firearm owner reg1s­ I tration in order to own a firearm privately. Thus, one individual may I appear on more ·than one firearm card. 3 I" I Exhibit A I Firearm Oivners Identification Applicil t L~~n 1'\1 nn I ILLINOIS OEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT FIREARM OWNERS IDENTIFICATION CARD DIVISION OF SUPPORT SERVICES BUREAU OF IDENTIFICATION I FIREARM OWNERS IDENTIFICATION Date Expires 1.0. No. READ INSTRUCTIONS on reverse side to avoid having your PRINT LAST NAME FIRST MIDDLE DATE OF BIRTH application rejected causing unnecessary delaYs. mo. I day I year RESIDENCE STREET ADDRESS I • Print all Information in black ink or tYPf). • Submit a check or money order for exactly $5.00. CITY OR TOWN COUNTY ZIP CODE • Fill in all required information. (For Office I Enter Your Previously Issued Color Hai, C~lor Eyes 1. Sex IHeight }wei9ntl Use Only) l.D. Numb~r. (If you are a nllw Applicant, ~nter "NEW",) ft. i in. 2. Enter Your Drivtlrs License Numbet CAUTION: This card does not permit bearer If none, write "NONE". to Unlawfully carry or use firearms. I ALL APPLICANTS MUST SHOW WRITTEN SIGNATURE WRITTEN SIGNATURE All applicants must answer qUl!stlOns J through 7 .. Ylls .. or ~no , Applicants under age 21 must answer qUl!stlOns 8 and 9 " y~s " or .. no " . 3. Have you bel!n convicted of a felony under thl! laws of this State or any other jurisdiction Yes No I within the past 5 years'? 0 0 Yes No 4.