Spent Shell Casing Cost

[SB281 Blaster]

Maryland State Police continues to be in violation of Public Safety Article 5-131. It states, “On receipt of a shell casing and information as required in subsection (b) of this section, the Department of State Police Crime Laboratory shall enter the information in each relevant database.” They are not doing this, and the Committees, by not voting on the repeal of this law and the legislature not funding this program are complicit in causing MSP to continue breaking the law. MSP has about 500,000 shell casing that have not been entered into a "relevant database" and this is a big problem because they are in violation of the law until they do. In fact, even repealing the law does not relieve them from having to do this in my mind. If the law does not get repealed, consideration of bringing suit against MSP to make them comply with Public Safety Article 5-131 should be considered. I found a machine they can use online for about $1,000,000. They need to start processing those shell casing now! We have complied with the law by providing those shell casing to them, no it's their turn. Get to it!

 

[SB281 Blaster]

http://www.ola.state.md.us/Reports/Fiscal%20Compliance/DSP10.pdf

Just for fun read page 11.

SB211 2000 states, "requiring certain individuals to provide certain firearms identification handgun shell casing information to the State for certain testing"

and

(E) UPON RECEIPT OF THE SHELL CASING AND REQUIRED INFORMATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLICE CRIME LABORATORY SHALL ENTER THE INFORMATION IN ALL PERTINENT DATABASES.

Pertinent meaning, "having a clear decisive relevance to the matter at hand." Putting the information into an (singular) "internal database" is a far cry from the law's original intent, and is a joke. I wonder what the Office of Legislative Audits is going to say this time around?

 

[SB281 Blaster]

Guess what, 2013 audit did not even address the shell casings.http://www.ola.state.md.us/Reports/Fiscal%20Compliance/DSP13.pdf

 

[Blacksmith101]

I thought this quote was even better

For example, IBIS failed to recognize a match when the same shell casing was intentionally scanned into the system twice. As a result, DSP is attempting to recover approximately $2.3 million paid to the vendor to install and maintain IBIS.

Further page 10 was even more interesting since it detailed failures of the handgun registration system. I wonder if they completed the required number of audits during the 2013 registration crunch? And a scan of the table of contents shows they have had previous computer security issues and other ongoing problems.

The 2013 report is even more damming on computer security in light of the regulated firearms data entry fiasco and subsequent lawsuit.

 

[SB281 Blaster]

Here the 2007 audit report.

https://www.ola.state.md.us/Reports/Fiscal%20Compliance/Police07.pdf

 

[Blacksmith101]

Here is a link to all the MSP fiscal audts:
2004
2005
2007
2010
2013
http://www.ola.state.md.us/top_pgs/Publications/pubs_AGENCY_STATEPOLICE.html

 

[SB281 Blaster]

Great link!

 

[Ifdot]

Don't forget the revenue they could realize if they recycled the brass they had already collected.

So it is a Double bonus for MD:
1. Stop spending money on a broken / pointless system.
2. Realize cash by selling the brass they have to be recycled.

Exactly what I was thinking. No funding, so its not costing them anything but some storage space. Sold the machine, $$$$$. Then recycle the brass once a year, $$. Its a win win for the state.
Like Clandestine said too, to have 07FFL cost $$$$ every year. This deters FFL's in MD which puts a strain on our freedoms every waning year.

 

[Mr H]

We need to pressure the Committee chairs to get this bill voted on, to Rules, then to the floor.

It's a very small thing on the surface, but it can be proof that we are able to make some progress... or, conversely, further proof that the PTB simply insist on infringement.

Either way--assuming we make the needed noise--we have something to use.

Webster... you know the boss is aware of how silly this dance is. A little help will go a long way.

 

[tsmith1499]

Exactly what I was thinking. No funding, so its not costing them anything but some storage space. Sold the machine, $$$$$. Then recycle the brass once a year, $$. Its a win win for the state.
Like Clandestine said too, to have 07FFL cost $$$$ every year. This deters FFL's in MD which puts a strain on our freedoms every waning year.

Not true. It costs an MSP employee somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-25 minutes from the time the shell casing is received until it arrives to whatever their repository is now. This info. was gleaned from Del. Mike Smigiel for the time involved in processing the shell casing. So it costs ALL of us in wasted time for a program that doesn't even exist anymore.

 

[SB281 Blaster]

We need to pressure the Committee chairs to get this bill voted on, to Rules, then to the floor.

It's a very small thing on the surface, but it can be proof that we are able to make some progress... or, conversely, further proof that the PTB simply insist on infringement.

Either way--assuming we make the needed noise--we have something to use.

Webster... you know the boss is aware of how silly this dance is. A little help will go a long way.

On Monday I personally delivered to the Judiciary members in both Houses a letter with the earlier linked report I found prepared by the MSP in 2004. It took a couple hours and spoke to some senators, delegates, and aids. Basically told them the law needs to be repealed or buy the $1,000,000 machine because MSP is not performing as required by the law...entering into "pertinent databases"...IBIS. I engaged in several productive discussions. This is not going away because MSP is not doing their job. An "internal database" does not cut it because it is not the law's intent and just about any judge will see that.

 

[SB281 Blaster]

What the courts think of shell casings as evidence.

http://www.americanbar.org/content/...zine/cjw11scientificevidence.authcheckdam.pdf

 

[danb]

I saw this on the NSSF bulletin:

http://www.nssf.org/share/BP2/2014/040714.htm

IS THE END NEAR FOR FAILED BALLISTICS IMAGING IN MARYLAND? . . . NSSF's ongoing effort to repeal Maryland's ballistics imaging (IBIS) law received a victory last week with the inclusion of language into this year's budget that requires the state police to develop a report on imaging and present it to the state legislature by the end of the year.

Had not heard this, but good job. Not sure why this report would differ from the last two...

 

[Mr H]

I saw this on the NSSF bulletin:

http://www.nssf.org/share/BP2/2014/040714.htm



Had not heard this, but good job. Not sure why this report would differ from the last two...

Did anyone even know NSSF was working on this??!!

I had hoped they would step in, and said as much here, but haven't seen a thing.

 

[SB281 Blaster]

I can't wait to see that report. The spin is going to be how collected shell casings have helped solve crimes in a way good police work could not have. They will need to show how collected shell casings were used in court to convict a criminal, anything short of that will be a joke.

My intent this year will be to communicate to everyone how Frosh and Vallario have repeatly and arrogantly ignored common sense presentations to repeal this wasteful and useless law. They are both behaving like dictators in a democracy where there is no room for such behavior.

As for the MSP, their continued support of this non-existent system indicates their total lack of backbone to do the right thing and a complete disappointment and embarrassment to anyone aware of what they are doing, or should I say not doing. They know better. Now the MSP will have to waste even more manpower and money trying to create a report to justify whatever mediocre identification system and database they are currently using. This could have been avoided by simply stepping up to the plate with the rest of us before the Judicial committees and asking to have this law repealed. I am glad their feet are being held to the fire. Hopefully the report they produce will help me regain some of the respect I have lost for them.

 

[ShallNotInfringe]

The MSP supported the shell casing requirement because the budget allocation gave them a discretionary pot of money... Plain and simple. Dumais said it during the floor debate.

 

[SB281 Blaster]

Shall Not, the cookies were a lifesaver, and soooo good. I had enough to share with Lee2 and Paul. I think 500 people picked-up my LWRC AR pistols and KSG shotguns. I didn't sit down once both days. Thank you so much!

 

[ShallNotInfringe]

Shall Not, the cookies were a lifesaver, and soooo good. I had enough to share with Lee2 and Paul. I think 500 people picked-up my LWRC AR pistols and KSG shotguns. I didn't sit down once both days. Thank you so much!

Glad some made it to your table.