Police Dispatch Search for Firearm Purchases

[R L Suehr]

The Record of Sale Database, that all 911 centers now have access to. Any firearm that had a PICS check done during the sale is recorded in there. Yes, it's illegal, no the courts won't do anything about it. Our government doesn't have to abide by the laws, and our spineless elected assholes will never do anything about it.

^^^all of this ^^^

[ShadeRabbit]

I was listening on the scanner last night to the SWAT situation in Etna.

In the early moments of information exchanges Allegheny County Dispatch reported that they found two firearm purchase records and provided the manufacturer and caliber of two firearms over the air.

It's my understanding that PA law prohibits the retention of PICS/Purchase information. So, I'm sure that info is not retained in an illegal, searchable database.

Not wanting to have my trust (further) shaken I'm looking for suggestions as to how they retrieved that information.

Just out of curiousity, were these long guns or hand guns?

[knight0334]

Just out of curiousity, were these long guns or hand guns?

The PSP has absolutely no knowledge of what long guns you would own.

[iUxTc]

Yeah i don't agree with access to record of sales. Should only be accessed by State Police or only by written request.

[iUxTc]

Actually . . . . yes, the PSP can print out a list of all updated firearm transfers with you as the last transferee. I've seen it done.

No, it's not actually illegal. The prohibition on keeping records applies to the long gun records created during a loss of PICS service.

§ 6111.
(b)
(1.1)
"In the event of an electronic failure under section 6111.1(b)(2) (relating to Pennsylvania State Police) for purposes of a firearm which exceeds the barrel and related lengths set forth in section 6102, obtained a completed application/record of sale from the potential buyer or transferee to be filled out in triplicate, the original copy to be sent to the Pennsylvania State Police, postmarked via first class mail, within 14 days of sale, one copy to be retained by the licensed importer, licensed manufacturer or licensed dealer for a period of 20 years and one copy to be provided to the purchaser or transferee."

"no information on the application/record of sale provided pursuant to this subsection shall be retained as precluded by section 6111.4 (relating to registration of firearms) by the Pennsylvania State Police either through retention of the application/record of sale or by entering the information onto a computer, and, further, an application/record of sale received by the Pennsylvania State Police pursuant to this subsection shall be destroyed within 72 hours of the completion of the criminal history, juvenile delinquency and mental health records background check."

If the PA Legislature wants to prohibit retaining ALL records, including the cumulative Record of Sale Database, then they have to rewrite the law to do so. I'm in favor of that. The Byzantine system of laws and record checks applicable to used guns hasn't stopped teen thugs from obtaining guns and using them with regularity; only tossing their pantsless butts in jail does that, and our primary reservoir of crime (Sodom on the Delaware) voted in a Soros nominee who stopped prosecuting criminals as long as they have a sob story about their great-great-grandparents.

What bothers me is the politicians calling for registration of all sales to prevent and trace crimes. A local department in another jurisdiction payed me a visit asking who I sold/gave a firearm to. Apparently there was a shooting with a gun I sold to an ffl over a year before. He sent in the record of sale a week after he transferred it to another "customer" but state police never updated the record. So having registration of firearms doesn't even work, it led to a dead end and the police came to my house even when I did everything right!

[Domer Dad]

Just out of curiousity, were these long guns or hand guns?

The two firearms reported back were handguns.

[SevenMilePete]

Several years ago the PA state supreme court found the PSP ROS database to be legal, and the majority opinion was some convoluted head-scratcher of a justification. The ROS is too valuable a crimestopper tool for the PA police / judicial-industrial complex to give up just because the law says the SP4-113 form must be destroyed in 48h or something.

Noah

I was told just a while ago that this PSP database was a legal registry. Not by a rookie trooper either. He just hemmed and hawed when I asked about guns brought in legally from out of state. He didn't have an answer.

[Steve in PA]

The ROS data base is not a "registry" as it does not include the transaction of every gun (handgun transfers between spouses, parents & children, grandparents & grandchildren and long guns). That is what the courts ruled I believe. It is NOT to be considered a registry, just a ROS. Nor should it be used as a registry, although many in LE try to use it as such.

Last I heard from my FFL friend, the ROS database is back logged by 3-4 years!

[Will3212]

If we can elect a republican governor in Nov, we can push hard to get rid of this illegal registry.

[Domer Dad]

If we can elect a republican governor in Nov, we can push hard to get rid of this illegal registry.

Well, we've had "Republican" governors before that haven't always worked out. There are a couple on the ballot that probably wouldn't work out too well either.

Elect a good conservative, constitutionalist, Republican governor then we have a chance. Just don't lose the legislature in the meantime.