Newark, New Jersey, June 14, 2022 - Today, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, New Jersey Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, Assembly Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald, and Senator Richard J. Codey urge both chambers of the New Jersey State Legislature to pass S1462/A2216 to implement the use of cutting-edge microstamping technology in newly manufactured semi-automatic handguns sold in New Jersey. Acting Attorney General Platkin and Majority Leader Ruiz and joined representatives from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, one of the oldest national gun violence prevention organizations in the country, to demonstrate this technology at a Newark Police Department gun range, underscoring the utility and importance of this tool for law enforcement.
“Advancing sensible firearms safety laws has always been a priority of the Murphy Administration, and innovative policies and legislation like microstamping are critical to law enforcement efforts to protect the public and solve gun-related crimes. We must think creatively about the tools we have at our disposal to keep our neighborhoods and our communities safe.” — Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin“Microstamping technology is a clearly needed forensic tool for law enforcement. Utilizing this technology will provide law enforcement a new avenue to solve gun crimes with strong forensic evidence - crimes that disproportionately affect New Jersey’s Black residents. According to the CDC, young Black men in New Jersey under 18 are over four times more likely to be murdered with a gun than their white counterparts. Almost 50 percent of homicides in New Jersey went unsolved in 2020. Microstamping technology will help bridge that gap and bring much-needed closure to families of crime victims, and give law enforcement the tools they need to serve the community.” — Brady Campaign Vice President of Policy Christian Heyne
“Spaces that were once considered safe—grocery stores, parks, schools—are now a place of hesitation. No one, especially innocent children, should be experiencing and witnessing gun violence at this frequency. We must do everything in our power to address gun violence and restore the safety of our communities. Microstamping technology is a vital aid that will provide law enforcement with forensic evidence, allowing them to solve cases which are often left unresolved and get guns off the street.” — Senator M. Teresa Ruiz“New Jersey has led the way in gun violence prevention solutions that are based on evidence. We have worked tirelessly for years to address the scourge of gun violence that has plagued our country and we are proud of the work we have done in New Jersey to create a model for our nation on gun safety. Microstamping is another common sense, crime-solving solution that will aid law enforcement officers by linking bullets and casings recovered at a crime scene to a specific firearm with a traceable serial number. We know that a majority of gun crimes go unsolved because of this missing link. By helping to solve these crimes, we will help stop the cycles of gun violence in our communities and keep New Jerseyans safe.” — Majority Leader Lou Greenwald.“Microstamping will help to track down the weapons used in crimes and trace how they are getting into the wrong hands. We need to give law enforcement the tools to stamp out gun violence. If you commit a crime we’re gonna get you.” — Senator Richard J. Codey
Microstamping technology uses lasers to imprint unique markings onto the tip of a firing pin and/or breech face of a firearm. These markings include specific information about the gun, much like a serial number. This information is then stamped onto the bullet casings, so when the gun is fired, law enforcement can connect the bullets to the identifying information about the gun. Microstamping technology will enable law enforcement to match bullet cartridges found at crime scenes directly to the gun that fired them, similar to the way law enforcement can use an automobile’s license plate to identify the vehicle’s make, model, VIN, and registered owner.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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