National Institute of Justice Releases Gun Safety Technology Report

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice (NIJ) today released, A Review of Gun Safety Technologies. The report is an assessment and market survey of existing and emerging gun safety technologies of interest to law enforcement, criminal justice communities and others interested in gun safety.

The report responds to an executive action issued by the President on January 26, 2013.  As part of his Plan to Reduce Gun Violence, President Obama directed the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies, to be followed by a challenge to the private sector to develop innovative technologies.  The report summarizes existing and emerging technologies and the availability and use of those technologies to inform future federal research, development strategy and innovation in gun safety technology.

Since the mid-1990's, numerous teams have developed firearms with advanced gun safety technology. These firearms, often called smart guns or personalized firearms, contain authorization systems so that only certain users can fire them.

The report found that personalized firearms are not currently commercially available in the United States, but that at least three products—two handguns and a shotgun—are at a technology maturity level that that could at least be described as commercializable or pre-production. The manufacturers of the two handguns say they are planning to bring their products to market in 2013.

"NIJ is pleased to contribute to the body of research about gun safety," said report author and NIJ General Engineer Dr. Mark Greene. "This report will become part of our portfolio of more than 30 scientific studies about firearms and continues NIJ's tradition of supporting innovative inquiry and making it widely available."

To view the report, please visit: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/242500.pdf

For more information about the President's plan to reduce gun violence, please visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_full.pdf.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney Karol Mason provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). For more information about OJP and its components please visit: www.ojp.gov.                   

SOURCE Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED