FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January
13, 2021
Pennsylvania’s Firearm Background Check System
Experiences Record Volume in Fourth Quarter; 2020
Harrisburg,
PA – The Pennsylvania State Police
announced that the fourth quarter of 2020 was the busiest in the history of the
Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS), breaking the previous record that was
set in the third quarter of 2020. The department also released the number of
firearms purchase denials, subsequent investigations, and arrests resulting
from such investigations for the period of October 1 through December 31, 2020.
Established in 1998,
PICS is used by county sheriffs, chiefs of police of cities of the first class,
and licensed firearms dealers in Pennsylvania to determine an individual’s
legal ability to acquire a license to carry firearms or obtain a firearm
through a purchase or transfer. In the fourth quarter of 2020, PICS completed
420,581 background checks. The highest total previously was 406,151, set in the
third quarter of 2020.
“Our department is
proud of PICS and the men and women behind the system who worked hard to meet
record-setting demand throughout 2020,” said Captain Mark Shaver, assistant
director of the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Records and Identification.
“For the year, we saw a 47 percent increase in PICS requests from 2019, and the
team stepped up to answer the call during a global pandemic.”
Statistics for the
fourth quarter of 2019 are included for comparison.
|
Fourth Quarter PICS Statistics |
2019 |
2020 |
|
Total number
of PICS checks conducted |
272,901 |
420,581 |
|
Number of persons denied |
4,106 |
7,458 |
|
Total number
of denials referred to law enforcement agencies |
1,155 |
1,317 |
|
Referred to Pennsylvania State Police |
357 |
352 |
|
Referred to Local Law Enforcement |
791 |
932 |
|
Referred to ATF |
7 |
33 |
|
Number of
individuals arrested for a warrant at point of purchase |
42 |
52 |
When an individual
provides false information on a state and/or federal form, an investigation is
initiated, and an investigation referral is sent to the corresponding law
enforcement agency.
In Pennsylvania, a
person commits a felony of the third degree if they make a false oral or
written statement on any federal or state agency form or willfully presents
false identification that is likely to deceive a firearm seller, licensed
dealer, or licensed manufacturer. During the PICS process, individuals may also
be identified as having an active warrant for their arrest.
Additional
Information
First
Quarter 2020 PICS Statistics
Second
Quarter 2020 PICS Statistics
Third
Quarter 2020 PICS Statistics
Pennsylvania
Instant Check System Annual Reports
MEDIA
CONTACTS: Corporal Brent Miller or Ryan Tarkowski, 717-783-5556
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