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Enforcing Firearms Laws at the Local Level: A Case Study of the Virginia Beach Police Department's Gun Trace Unit

Gun violence remains a serious threat to public safety throughout the United States. Numerous federal and local agencies have taken a variety of steps in an attempt to deal with this perennial problem. One of the most common tactics has been the development of task forces between local agencies and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). This is the approach that the Virginia Beach Police Department took until recently. In April 2008, however, the department disbanded its task force and developed its own internal unit tasked with the investigation of firearms-related crimes called the Gun Trace Unit. This article details the new unit's mission, how it functions, and what advantages it has over the previously instituted task force approach. The Gun Trace Unit has been a successful innovation in Virginia Beach and may serve as a useful model for other jurisdictions.