Firearm forfeiture database documentation

• Terms
• Caveats
• File design and coding
• Downloading instructions

Reports

Maps

The 1996 and 1997 Minnesota firearm forfeiture data files can be downloaded by linking from one of the two options at the bottom of this document. Please review this documentation before downloading or put a bookmark at this page for future reference.  

Firearm forfeiture data is collected each year from law enforcement agencies across the state by the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office. Agencies complete monthly reporting forms, recording details about each firearm forfeited. Specific information documented includes county of forfeiture, firearm characteristics, reason for forfeiture and final disposition. The Criminal Justice Center at Minnesota Planning was mandated by the 1994 Legislature to conduct a yearly analysis of the auditor’s forfeiture data and publish a report detailing the results.   

Minnesota firearm forfeiture databases are available in either a dBase IV (.dbf) or Lotus 1-2-3 (.wk1) format. Records have been sorted by data entry number in descending order. All data is numeric and pertains only to firearms that have been forfeited. Guns that are seized and subsequently returned to their owners are not considered forfeited and therefore are not included in the data file.  

Terms

Below are definitions specific to firearm forfeiture data files.  

• action The mechanism by which a round of ammunition is loaded into the firing chamber of a gun. Actions may be manual such as bolt, lever, pump or revolver; semiautomatic; or automatic.
• automatic Weapons that continuously fire ammunition as long as the trigger is depressed. Also known as a machine gun, an automatic is illegal to own unless it was manufactured before 1986.
• BB gun A device that fires a metal pellet measuring 0.18 inch or less in diameter.
• caliber or gauge The numeric description of the diameter of a firearm barrel as well as the size of ammunition. Caliber most often refers to handguns and rifles, while gauge pertains to shotguns. Higher calibers and lower gauges indicate more powerful weapons.
• firearm Any device that is designed to or may be readily converted to expel any type of projectile. Types of firearms are handguns, rifles, shotguns, machine guns, homemade guns, and air, BB or pellet guns.
• forfeiture The process in which law enforcement officials gain legal rights to a firearm. Minnesota has three legal processes for forfeiting guns: judicial action, summary and administrative.
• handgun A firearm that can be held and fired with one hand. Revolvers, pistols and Saturday night specials are types of handguns.
• illegal possession The unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor or of a gun that is unlicensed, altered or illegal.
• reckless discharge The firing of a gun in a dangerous manner, such as within city limits.
• retained Describes forfeited firearms that are kept for law enforcement purposes, such as training or use in the line of duty.
• rifle A gun with a barrel length of 16 inches that is usually fired from the shoulder. Rifles have grooves cut into the inside of the barrel that cause the bullet to spin when discharged, increasing firing accuracy.
• sawed-off Describes rifles with a barrel length altered to shorter than 16 inches or shotguns altered to less than 18 inches.
• semiautomatic Describes firearms that will fire one shot of ammunition per trigger pull.
• shotgun A firearm with a barrel length of 18 inches that is discharged with both hands from the shoulder. Shotguns have a smooth barrel and fire cartridges containing multiple metal pellets or slugs. 

Caveats

Comprehensive information is lacking on firearms involved in crime such as prevalent makes, calibers, gauges and actions, as well as the offenders who use them. To lessen the information gap and facilitate informed policy decisions, the 1994 Minnesota Legislature issued a mandate to three state agencies to collect and report annual firearm-related data. The agencies and the data required are: 

• Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission: criminal complaints and prosecutions involving a firearm regarding whether the case was charged or dismissed; whether the defendant was convicted of the offense or a lesser offense; and whether the mandatory minimum sentence was imposed and executed or waived by the prosecutor or court. 
• Minnesota State Auditor’s Office: firearm forfeiture information from law enforcement agencies, including the make, model and serial number of the firearm. 
• Criminal Justice Center at Minnesota Planning: the number of people arrested, charged, convicted and sentenced for violations of each firearm-related law, as well as the make, model and serial number of each gun involved and a breakdown by county of crimes committed. 

The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission and the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office are publishing annual reports that satisfy their mandates. The complexity of the Legislature’s request and lack of relevant data prevents the Criminal Justice Center tracking offenders and the weapons they use in crime.   

A centralized database linking weapon and offender data does not exist. Pieces of information related to each criminal incident are recorded in different data sets and stored in various locations across the state. Information on weapons used to commit crime is documented on paper by law enforcement officers at the time of arrest and kept in police files. Separate demographic information about the offender is noted as well. It is currently not possible to link information about the same incident from one data set to another. 

This potpourri of data collection and storage prevents the tracking of firearms and offenders through the entire justice system, from the time of arrest through court activity to sentencing. In addition, any information about weapons used in crime will always exclude those situations in which police know that an incident was gun-related but are unable to recover the weapon used by the offender. Minnesota has approximately 100 statutes relating to firearm use and regulating everything from purchase and sales, possession, storage and transportation, hunting and sport use to imposing criminal penalties. Related statutory data is either not collected or readily available, or is limited in scope. 

With the objective of supplying the best possible data available, the Criminal Justice Center worked with legislators to determine what information should be provided annually, including data on firearms used to commit crime. The state auditor was asked to collect state and county forfeiture data for each firearm: the make, model and serial number; reason for forfeiture; and final disposition. While auditor’s data file does not contain information regarding offenders or state laws affecting firearm use and possession, it is the most complete and readily available data on firearms used in crime. 

It was agreed that the Criminal Justice Center would complete an independent analysis of the state auditor’s data to extract more in-depth statistical information. Using the data file, the Criminal Justice Center adds detail on the type, caliber, action, make, model, and legal and altered status of each forfeited weapon. 

Police departments are able legally to secure firearms through seizure or forfeiture. Law enforcement agencies must follow a statutorily designated process to obtain forfeited guns in Minnesota. 

Minnesota warrants three legal processes under which firearms are forfeited: 

• Judicial action. This occurs when a formal complaint is filed against a firearm that details the reasons it should be forfeited. 
• Summary forfeiture. This gives the state legal possession of firearms owned by an individual convicted of a controlled substance crime or other statutorily designated offense. 
• Administrative forfeiture. This is used with guns seized in connection with controlled substances. In this process, firearm owners are notified that their weapon was seized and that they have a right to a judicial review. If a review is not requested, any rights to the firearm are lost and the weapon is automatically forfeited. 

Seizure is the first step in the process and occurs when a police officer takes possession of a firearm — an action that may require a court order. In some cases, the court process may be bypassed if the weapon was obtained through a lawful search or arrest. When a firearm is recovered after being abandoned or stolen, the discovering law enforcement agency makes every attempt to find the legal owner. Seizure does not always result in forfeiture; guns that are seized and later returned to owners are not considered forfeited. 

Forfeiture differs from seizure in that the owner loses all rights to the gun in the former process. The weapon is contraband and becomes the legal property of the state. Law enforcement officials can then either destroy or retain the firearm. A few days to several years may elapse between when a seizure takes place and when it results in forfeiture. This time lapse may occur when firearms are used as evidence in a lengthy court trial or if law enforcement agencies allow time to find the lawful owners of stolen guns. The varying time line affects the data available for analysis for any given year. For example, law enforcement agencies reported 1,272 forfeitures in 18 Minnesota counties during 1997, down from 1,810 forfeitures the previous year. This may be a reflection on the forfeiture process or simply may mean that there were fewer forfeited guns or that fewer guns were recovered by law enforcement. 

File design and coding

The field name, size, description, values and value labels for each variable in the firearm forfeiture database are listed below. 

Field name: Id#   Size: 4 
Description: Unique identification number given to each forfeited firearm. 

Field name: Sevencty   Size: 1 
Description: Indicates whether the forfeiture occurred within the metropolitan area that includes Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties.

Field name: HR   Size: 1 
Description: Identifies firearms forfeited in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. 

Field name: County   Size: 2 
Description: Refers to the specific county where the firearm was forfeited. 

Field name: Activity   Size: 1 
Description: Identifies the activity leading to forfeiture. 

Field name: Breakdwn   Size: 2 
Description: Provides a more detailed description of firearms forfeited based on criminal activity. 

Field name: Antique  Size: 1 
Description: Identifies antique firearms that were forfeited. 

Field name: Make  Size: 2 
Description: Identifies the firearm manufacturer. 

Field name:  Caliber  Size: 2 
Description: Indicates the forfeited firearm`s caliber or gauge. 

Field name: Type   Size: 1 
Description: Describes the type of firearm forfeited. 

Field name: Action  Size: 2 
Description: Pertains to the firearm`s ammunition loading mechanism. 

Field name:  Legal  Size: 2 
Description: Identifies the firearm’s legal status. Examples of illegal firearms are Saturday night specials, machine guns and altered guns. 

Field name:  Altered  Size: 2 
Description: Indicates whether the forfeited firearm was altered. Examples of unlawful alterations are adding silencers or trigger activators, sawing off the barrel, and removing or altering the serial number. 

Field name: Serial  Size: 2 
Description: Provides information about the firearm’s serial number. 

Field name: Status  Size: 1 
Description: Describes what happened to the firearm after forfeiture.