Illegal Guns in Boston: Patterns and Policy

• In Event: Understanding the Underground Gun Market: How Violent Offenders Obtain Guns and Ammunition in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston

Abstract

This presentation summarizes several years of mixed methods research into the trade in illegal guns in Boston, Massachusetts. Building on analyses of approximately two decades of ATF trace data, we begin by identifying patterns of continuity and change in the source states of crime guns recovered in Boston. We extend this analysis through the study of secondhand gun transactions that preceded the recovery of these Boston crime guns, made possible by a Massachusetts state law requiring record keeping of secondary and private firearm sales. After describing the contours of the illegal gun market through the lens of law enforcement data, we augment this picture with a summary of findings from recent ethnographic research with illegal gun users in Boston. We conclude by offering a composite portrait of the local gun market, identifying its unique features and emphasizing opportunities for policy intervention.

Authors

• David Hureau, SUNY Albany

• Anthony A. Braga, Northeastern University