Technology
| More

Finger Pointing

A New Technology Targets Gun Sales

BY: | May 2005



Massachusetts has some of the toughest gun licensing requirements in the nation. Now, the state has developed and is installing a first-of- its-kind, real-time system that will help keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Under state law, prospective gun owners must pass a background check when applying for a gun license and when buying a gun. The new, $4.7 million Web-based system, called the Massachusetts Instant Record Check System, or MIRCS, expedites and improves this process by digitally scanning fingerprints and matching them to the fingerprints already on file with the state. With a quick scan of the right index finger, state officials and gun dealers will know instantly if a customer is eligible to apply for a license or buy a firearm.

To use the system, gun stores need only a computer with Internet access and a personal identification device, which is supplied by the state. Only four gun dealers were set up as of April, but 200 of the 351 police departments are up and running. The system should be installed statewide by the end of June.

The state is working to enhance MIRCS further by adding a notification system that can send an instant alert to police and state offices if, for example, a person with a restraining order tries to buy a gun.

In a state where approximately 75,000 licenses are issued annually, and 40,000 to 50,000 guns are sold every year, MIRCS offers an overlooked benefit, says Barry LaCroix, executive director of the Massachusetts Criminal History Systems Board. "It instantly improves the safety of our police."


If you enjoyed this post, subscribe for updates.

Elizabeth Daigneau
Elizabeth Daigneau

Elizabeth Daigneau is GOVERNING's managing editor.

E-mail: edaigneau@governing.com
Twitter: @governing

Comments



Add Your Comment

You are solely responsible for the content of your comments. GOVERNING reserves the right to remove comments that are considered profane, vulgar, obscene, factually inaccurate, off-topic, or considered a personal attack.

Comments must be fewer than 2000 characters.

Latest from Technology

  • States in a Race to Secure Drone Testing
  • Groups in 37 states are vying to become one of six federally designated sites for testing the remotely piloted crafts for use in the nation's airspace. They see a chance to generate jobs.
  • Job Skills Gap a Growing Concern in Cities
  • Cities coming out of the recession are facing new challenges with matching their workforce to available jobs, a problem that could be an early indicator of a growing national problem.
  • Sequestration Cuts into Scientific Research
  • Federal agencies pour billions each year into university research. With less federal money to spend, some Ph.D. programs are delaying admissions decisions, while others have already cut positions amid the uncertainty.

More From Technology

Featured on Governing.com





Events & Webinars

  • It’s A Paperless, Paperless World..... Thinking Outside the Box to Gain Efficiencies through Prepaid Cards
  • April 23, 2013
  • Public sector organizations are under intense scrutiny to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible and with maximum transparency. An important consideration is the way in which payments are made and managed. Prepaid cards can offer flexibility, security and accountability to governments as a method of dispersing benefits, healthcare and social care payments, child benefits and housing benefits to their constituents.


More Events & Webinars


© 2011 e.Republic, Inc. All Rights reserved.    |   Privacy Policy   |   Site Map