Boston police must now track and report on seized firearms

The Boston City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday requiring Boston police to track information on firearms seized in crimes and report the data annually.

The measure, co-sponsored by City Councilor Brian Worrell and City Council President Ed Flynn, is aimed at getting a handle on where weapons are coming from in the 150 to 200 shootings recorded in Boston each year.

“I believe that data-informed solutions can help us ensure that we’re taking the best approaches possible to reduce gun violence,” Worrell said in a statement. “Where are the guns coming from? Where do we need more resources? How can we best prevent repeat offenders?”

Tracking guns in America is difficult at best; even legal gun records are not public. In 2022, Boston officers recovered more than 900 guns. A recent report showed that only 10% of guns recovered at Boston crime scenes in 2021 were purchased in Massachusetts, according to the council.

Since the start of 2020, about 780 people were shot in Boston, according to city data. Of those, more than 125 were fatal.

The annual report will coordinate information from the Boston Police Department, the state police, the Suffolk County sheriff’s office and the Suffolk County district attorney’s office.

The data for each firearm will include whether it was involved in a crime, where it originated, when it was last legally sold, where it was seized and the age of the person who had the gun when it was recovered. The data also will include each gun’s model, manufacturer and modifications.

The report is to be submitted to the city council, the mayor’s office and the Boston Public Health Commission, to assist in setting gun policy.

“There are too many kids in our city who are dying from gun violence," Worrell said. "No child should be unsafe in their own city."