State Senator Ron Latz (DFL–St. Louis Park) told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that 40% of all Minnesota law enforcement agencies do not use a federal database to track the history of guns used to commit violent crimes.

Of the 40% who do use the ATF e-trace system, Latz said only 13% of those law enforcement agencies share the information with each other.

Latz said he will introduce a bill that would make it mandatory for all Minnesota law enforcement agencies to use the federal database and share the information.

“That would require all agencies when they’re coming across firearms used in the commission of a crime, or they suspect was used in the commission of a crime, that they go into the e-trace system and they enter the firearm data,” said Latz. “And, a new agency comes across that gun in the commission of a crime it will make it easier to find out what happened to that gun, who had it, and help solve that crime.”

Former Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said his agency used the federal gun-tracking database, and making it mandatory would be a positive move.

“I mean, this is a good tool. It works. It works nationwide,” said Stanek.  “One gun would be used, you know, by several different individuals, sometimes dozens of them, depending if they’re in a gang or some type of criminal element, and that gun would continue to show up and show up and show up.”

Latz intends to introduce the legislation when state lawmakers convene early next year.