S.P. Sullivan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

3,806 guns

Each year, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives publishes state-by-state reports on the tracing of so-called "crime guns," which are weapons recovered during criminal investigations that police departments attempt to trace to their original owner or city of origin.

The most recent report, detailing crime gun traces in 2015, found 3,806 guns recovered and traced in the Garden State last year. Of those 3,806, police determined the source for 2,281 guns.

Here's a closer look at the data.

Don't Edit

Micklow, Frances

About the data

First, a disclaimer: These numbers are not a precise count of illegal guns used in crimes. Some of them could be legally purchased firearms that were later used in commission of a crime by their owner, or stolen and used by the thief.

As the ATF notes, "Not all firearms used in crime are traced and not all firearms traced are used in crime.” State attorney general guidelines call for all guns involved criminal investigations to be traced, but some departments may not fully comply.

Still, the ATF report offers the best available window into the hidden flow of firearms between states, and the majority of the guns traces were performed as part of criminal investigations.

Don't Edit

This map shows the top sources for crime guns recovered in New Jersey. Pennsylvania was the biggest out-of-state source, with 370 weapons, followed by Georgia (203) and North Carolina (192). Another 29 states and the District of Columbia accounted for 215 other traces.

Importer of 'crime guns'

New Jersey is a net importer of crime guns, meaning the majority of guns recovered here were purchased or stolen out of state and made their way into the hands of suspects in the Garden State. In 2015, 78 percent of the guns recovered in New Jersey came from out of state — more than any other state in the nation.

A total of 770 guns were sourced to New Jersey, 500 of which stayed in state.

Don't Edit

The iron pipeline

The flow of crime guns from a handful of states to places with tight gun control laws like New York and New Jersey is well-documented. Roughly 50,000 guns move across state lines every year along the Interstate 95 corridor, which has been dubbed the "iron pipeline."

Countless more make the trek undetected. Many experts consider the figures in the ATF's annual report to be a conservative estimate of the true scope of illegal gun activity.

Don't Edit

N.J. guns by city

New Jersey's major cities accounted for the top five recovery sites for traced firearms, with Newark at number one with 548, followed by Paterson (294), Trenton (208), Jersey City (202) and Camden (175).

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

S.P. Sullivan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Why Ringwood?

One peculiar addition to 2015’s data was the tiny town of Ringwood, a Passaic County borough with a population of just over 12,000, which fell just below Camden on the list, with 93 seized and traced guns.

NJ Advance Media determined the town's spike in seized firearms could be attributed to a single resident, who had more than 80 guns, including some illegal machine guns, seized from his home while police were acting on a temporary restraining order in 2015.

Don't Edit

1

Guns by type

Pistols accounted for the majority of traced guns, with 2,032, followed by revolvers (907), rifles (468) and shotguns (317).

Don't Edit

ATF data

Reasons for traces

Most traces were conducted in weapons offense cases or cases where law enforcement found a firearm. "Family offenses" including domestic violence investigations came in a distant third.

Don't Edit

Read the report

Click here to read the full ATF report.