In his continuous effort to give police more tools to solve crimes, Assemblyman Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood) announced the Assembly passed the Crime Gun Identification Act of 2012, legislation he supported that would help law enforcement trace spent bullet cartridges to the guns that fired them (A.1157-B). This measure would give investigators information that is crucial in accurately tracking down criminals, and would require semi-automatic pistols manufactured or delivered to licensed dealers in New York State on or after Jan. 1, 2014, to be capable of microstamping.

“Microstamping provides an accurate starting point for law enforcement when they arrive at the scene of the crime,” Assemblyman Ramos said. “Imprinted cartridges would offer information about the weapon used and would eliminate the need for locating the gun, making the whole process of tracking down and convicting the criminal much easier.”

When a cartridge is microstamped, noted Assemblyman Ramos, information is stamped onto the cartridge that identifies the make, model and serial number of the gun. The markings are duplicated on each cartridge, leaving no mistake as to where the fired bullets came from.

Microstamping legislation has passed the Assembly for four years in a row, and would require semi-automatic pistols manufactured or delivered to licensed New York firearms dealers after Jan. 1, 2014 to be micro-stamp ready. The measure also establishes fines for violations of these requirements.

“As a former police officer and detective, I know how important it is to get every possible piece of information as quickly as possible in order to track down dangerous criminals and get them off the streets and away from our families,” Assemblyman Ramos said. “Microstamping offers law enforcement a way to bring more criminals to justice, sending a message loud and clear that they will get caught and they will be convicted.”

In addition to microstamping, earlier this year Assemblyman Ramos supported a new law that expands the current DNA databank (Ch. 19 of 2012) – New York now has the most expansive DNA databank in the nation. The Assembly has also passed legislation to help protect against the conviction of innocent persons by requiring the state Forensic Science Commission to consider and establish standards regarding the testing, preservation and cataloguing of certain evidence (A.5886-C).