February 25, 2003
REP. GODFREY LEADS CHARGE FOR BALLISTIC FINGERPRINTING
Deputy Majority Leader Robert Godfrey (D-Danbury) today joined with other leaders of the House and Senate to announce groundbreaking legislation that would create an interstate ballistic fingerprinting database (with Massachusetts). Each time a gun is fired, unique barrel markings are transferred to the bullet. That same ballistic fingerprint is reproduced every time the weapon is fired.
Highlights of the ballistic fingerprinting proposal:
State would collect ballistic fingerprints from all new handguns sold in Connecticut.
Manufacturers would provide Connecticut firearm dealers with a spent shell casing and bullet along with each new handgun. The dealer would submit the casing and bullet to the Department of Public Safety (DPS).
DPS would record the information and enter it into a database.
Any person who alters a firearm to change barrel markings would be subject to criminal penalties.
Connecticut would join with Massachusetts to create a larger database.
"The federal ballistic fingerprinting program has proven to be a very effective law enforcement tool," Rep. Godfrey said. "The drawback is that it only stores information gathered at crime scenes. Our program would overcome that limitation."
Rep. Godfrey is the State Representative from the 110th district in Danbury. The eight-term Democrat serves as Deputy Majority Leader, as chairman of the House Democrats’ Bill Review Committee, and as a member of the Judiciary Committee, the Legislative Management Committee, and the Public Safety Committee.