Indianapolis PD has been secretly sending firearms data to ATF since the 1970s
03/28/2023 // Ramon Tomey // Views

A new report has revealed that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) is secretly sending firearms data to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for 50 years, even if the weapons were not used to commit a crime.

Investigative reporter Richard Essex exposed this tyrannical practice in a Feb. 28 article published by Indianapolis TV station WISH 8. According to his piece, the more than 21,000 guns in the IMPD's property room – whether connected to a crime or not – have undergone ballistic testing at its crime laboratory. Test results are then sent to the ATF for entry into a national database.

According to the report, IMPD officers admitted that they never obtained search warrants to test the firearms. Moreover, the testing had been done as a matter of policy since the 1970s, as disclosed by IMPD Assistant Police Chief Chris Bailey.

"We went back and checked how long this has been going on," he told WISH 8. "A former employee who came on in 1973 [said] it was happening then in the 1970s. She worked another 30 years here and retired a couple of years ago."

While some of the firearms may have been used in a crime, most were from lawful gun owners. Thus, most gun owners are likely unaware that their firearms were tested or that the ATF now has their ballistic data included in a national gun registry. This ultimately makes the IMPD's decades-old practice a possible violation of federal law and an infringement of both the Second and Fourth Amendments. (Related: Miami police try, fail to explain how it’s legal for their department to ship guns to Ukraine.)

Brighteon.TV

Attorney Guy Relford said the practice raises some legal questions.

"I think there are some real Fourth Amendment issues," he told the TV station. "The legal questions would be: Is it a search? Then, it is an unreasonable search? Because this is what the Fourth Amendment prohibits."

Getting back firearms from IMPD not a walk in the park

The attorney has also been receiving messages from disgruntled lawful owners of firearms seeking assistance to recover their guns from the IMPD. According to Relford, the police department's policy of getting a firearm returned to its original owner is tricky and time-consuming. Gun owners seeking to reclaim their firearms need a background check, fingerprints and proof of purchase.

"You have an awful lot of people who are being deprived of their property with no real legal basis to do so," he said. "It is actually not [their] property, and the constitutional violations are something to take a look at, too."

Following Essex's revelation, Bailey remarked that the IMPD is looking into the issue if it needs changing. He added that lawyers for the police department will examine and change policies if any violations of federal rules and the Constitution are found.

ATF Special Agent Daryl McCormick said data collected by the IMPD is sent to the bureau's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network for entry. He clarified, however, that the firearms data given to them is supposed to be for guns involved or suspected to have been involved in crimes.

"They have been recovered by police, but they should be suspected of use or recovered, for the most part," said McCormick. However, IMPD is sending data from every firearm – whether used in a crime or not – to the database, which could be a violation of ATF policy.

Essex ultimately remarked: "For legal gun owners, this story has been a sore subject for many, many years. It doesn't take long to find someone who has lost a treasured firearm and waited years to get it back."

He expressed pessimism with regard to the IMPD's change in its gun policy, explaining: "It's been over a month and I haven't heard a thing. I doubt they'll make any changes. They'll wait for someone to challenge this."

SecondAmendment.news has more stories about the infringement on the right to keep and bear arms.

Watch this video that reveals the ATF operating a searchable gun registry.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

TYRANNY ALERT: Biden’s ATF to force millions of gun owners to register arm brace pistols or face felony charges.

Congressman introduces bill to block ATF from keeping records of gun purchases.

Clearly… ATF needs to go as 4 million+ face gun registration.

Sources include:

AmmoLand.com

WISHTV.com

Brighteon.com



Take Action:
Support Natural News by linking to this article from your website.
Permalink to this article:
Copy
Embed article link:
Copy
Reprinting this article:
Non-commercial use is permitted with credit to NaturalNews.com (including a clickable link).
Please contact us for more information.
Free Email Alerts
Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.
App Store
Android App
eTrust Pro Certified

This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2022 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This site uses cookies
Natural News uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy.
Learn More
Close
Get 100% real, uncensored news delivered straight to your inbox
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your email privacy is completely protected.