May 4, 2007

As Baltimore focuses greater resources on ridding the streets of illegal guns, it may find its effort stymied by a federal law that restricts release of gun tracing data. The provision makes it difficult for cities to identify trends and gun dealers who serve criminals, and it should be revised.

Named for its sponsor, Kansas Rep. Todd Tiahrt, the provision precludes the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from releasing sensitive data that trace the origin of a gun except as they apply to a particular crime in an ongoing investigation. Mayor Sheila Dixon has joined New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and 225 other mayors in opposing the law because they say it unfairly denies law enforcement officials critical data they could use to stem the flow of guns on city streets.

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski and Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, who sit on appropriations committees in Congress that are reviewing the Tiahrt amendment, should take the lead in making the information more easily available so law enforcement can better track trends and gun dealers who are the source of criminals' guns.

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Too much information can be a dangerous thing, but not when it comes to guns used in crimes.