By Chip Brewster | June 29, 2022
CHICAGO â A new âstate-of-the-art online platformâ was announced by state law enforcement leaders Wednesday with the goal of tracking down sources of illegal guns.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, along with other agency representatives and gun safety advocates, to unveil Crime Gun Connect, a new program which they said will assist law enforcement agencies in investigating gun crimes and identifying the sources of illegal guns.
Raoul noted federal law prevents the digitizing of firearms records which makes it cumbersome for investigators to search and utilize those records. However, thanks to a series of legal exceptions, the platform contains more than 100,000 records from approximately 200 Illinois agencies dating back to 2009.
According to Raoul, the system incorporates mapping technology and an algorithm which helps identify individuals who are involved in gun trafficking.
While the system is not accessible to the public, officials showed a series of screenshots to demonstrate its functionality. View that demonstration, along with all of the statements made by the law enforcement and community advocate leaders, in the video above.
All Illinois law enforcement agencies will have access to the system at no cost.