Annual firearm ballistics check

[PICHARDO]

So Pichardo you are telling us that the arrest of a underdetmined number of military/officers involved in armed crime is a direct result of this law? And the FBI cannot have it their way in the US but because they are such great guys they are coming down here and having it their way in the DR? Are you back on the pipe?

Yes on the first.

The FBI can't collect ballistic data from guns registered by civilians as per their own Laws. Like noted, from the aftermath of a gun discharged yes. The FBI took great pains to exploit the DR's full power over gun Laws to make sure we don't have the shortcomings they now have. They advised the DR on the creation of the database and made it possible for it to link to theirs, ours is only better on what we can gather and when, unlike theirs.

 

[PICHARDO]

Gun parts are cheap and available. Anyone wanting to defeat the process just changes barrels and gun parts that nick the cartridges although its primarily the barrels internal grooves that marks the bullets that is used as evidence and not the ejector marks on the cartridges. In New Jersey (naturally) there was a Mafia hit man nicknamed "iceman" who always changed out his pistol after a contract. Took the cops years to catch up with him and only then because he had other issues. In the meantime in the DR licensed and law abiding owners are subjected to these needless ineffective regulations. Does anyone believe that small town DR has a ballistics lab or calls in Dominican CSI? I am considering giving up the concealed handgun license and going to the shortest barrel 12 guage pump in stainless steel. Anyone know the rule on overall legal length? ? I see these sleeping watchees with what looks like 18 inches.

Getting gun parts in the DR is not that easy, let alone guns. It is possible as noted to do so, just very hard to replace essential parts that have been marked during the fingerprinting process and not be detected.

Your shotgun will make you stealth only if you take the time to pick all the spent shells around you. One missed spent shell and you are in hot trouble.

The DR only has a single such lab and databank. We only need one.

Again, a good chunk of homicides in the DR are carried out with already registered guns.

 

[windeguy]

I agree that an annual ballistics check is nonsense. The only thing that could be used in a crime to trace a 9mm back to a given weapon is the rifling from the barrel on a bullet and it is indeed trivial to change the barrel on a 9mm.

Regarding the shotgun.. How hard is it to pick up the spent shells?

It has been mentioned that there will be another ballistics lab in Santiago. So unless they changed their mind on that PICHARDO missed that eventuality.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Here in the DR just like at home, any rules that require the owner of a firearm to jump through the same hoops on a regular basis for a cost are primarily revenue generating exercises.

The only people who bother to go for a yearly ballistic check, procure a legal firearm and get a license are those who aren't likely to be a problem when possessing or using these tools. Onerous regulations only create inconvenience and expense for legal firearms owners. Criminals don't buy legal guns, they don't apply for a license, they don't get a yearly ballistics check, and if they are intent on shooting someone then whether they use a registered firearm or an unregistered one is the furthest thing on their mind.

I have no problem registering firearms, I have no problem with a one time ballistics check, I don't mind renewing a license at an interval that is reasonable and I believe if one uses a firearm in the commission of a crime, that person should be shot with their own gun using their own bullet.

There needs to be a set of rules that spell out what society expects from firearms owners, but any expectation that criminals will abide by any of them is wishful thinking. When it comes to guns and screwdrivers, it's all or nothing. Either everyone has one or no one has one. There is no reasonable/workable middle ground. Crims will be crims and if they choose to behave that way, no set of rules is going to compel them to do otherwise.

 

[zoomzx11]

The most commonly used hi tech investigatory tool in the DR is a rubber hose.

 

[PICHARDO]

I agree that an annual ballistics check is nonsense. The only thing that could be used in a crime to trace a 9mm back to a given weapon is the rifling from the barrel on a bullet and it is indeed trivial to change the barrel on a 9mm.

Regarding the shotgun.. How hard is it to pick up the spent shells?

It has been mentioned that there will be another ballistics lab in Santiago. So unless they changed their mind on that PICHARDO missed that eventuality.

It's only a collection lab. The actual and real lab is in SD. Much like you have a command center with satellite posts.


The rifling is only worth when a bullet is able to produce some marks, after deformity. The shell casing allows more marks to be matched. From ejection, seat, feeding breech, bullet seat, firing pin mark on primer, etc... Even something as minor as scuff marks left from a marred ammo clip helps.

It's not even close to nonsense as you say. Ask the FBI anytime if they so wished to have it that way back in the states...

Harder than you think, when you are embroiled in a crime and time is pressing in making your escape from the scene.

You watch too many hitman movies if you think time is a given to go collecting spent shells...

 

[Gringo Starr]

There is another thread here about "self parking" Volvo accident with the link to youtube video. One of the comments under that video (this is NOT my comment) says: Tecnolog?a en manos de monos .

These words perfectly describe the whole situation with this annual ballistic checks and the ballistic lab. Ballistic Lab? In DR??? WTF? Why?

 

[SKY]

When is the last time someone got identified and caught with a ballistic test after a murder here?

 

[zoomzx11]

Never been a first time never mind a last time. A CSI style ballistics lab is pure fantasy.
The cops do catch criminals once in a while but it's unusual. It's me I would not bother calling the cops on the risk that they could make the crime even worse with their blundering. Ask Frank about his experience with Dom justice the time he was arrested for murder.

 

[PICHARDO]

When is the last time someone got identified and caught with a ballistic test after a murder here?

Plenty. Criminals are dumb anywhere in the world for the most part.


A good portion of homicides carried out in the DR are executed with a registered gun.

 

[Gringo Starr]

A good portion of homicides carried out in the DR are executed with a registered gun.

Bullsh1t.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

We can probably agree that most criminals are mentally challenged to some degree, but most watch TV and and rule #1 for committing gun crime is not to use your registered gun to shoot someone.

Those that do use a legal gun for the most part fall into the domestic violence category where wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend learn of a new child in the relationship from an outside source or an unexpected dalliance. These are the "heat-of-the-moment" crimes where emotion trumps logical thought and someone gets shot only because one party just happens to have a loaded gun in their pocket or in the other room.

Almost everyone performing a drive-by, B&E, robbery or intentional murder knows to avail themselves of one of many easily obtainable non-legal guns. The problem for most challenged crims is that many are reluctant to toss these guns into the ocean after the crime because guns cost money and poor people stupid people have a hard time tossing money into the ocean so they hang on to them believing that a mattress is a good hiding spot.

 

[Gringo Starr]

"heat-of-the-moment" crimes where emotion trumps logical thought and someone gets shot only because one party just happens to have a loaded gun in their pocket or in the other room.

I believe that 90% of those "heat-of-the-moment" crimes occur with the use of illegal guns or legal guns with the license expired 10 years ago. Those barrio guys have nothing to lose, but they also have no money to pay 10,000 pesos a year for the license and drug and ballistic tests. And rich people who have something to lose in this life usually don't kill their wife just because of the "heat-of-the-moment". I remember only one case when somebody shot somebody during the parking dispute in Piantini in Santo Domingo. I believe that was a registered gun. But usually all news like a man killed his girlfriend and then attempted to suicide come from the barrio, not from Naco or Piantini.