Untraceable firearms are a growing problem in Rhode Island even as overall crimes are trending downward, according to a newly published report from state Attorney General Peter Neronha.
The latest Gun Crimes Report released Thursday notes that state prosecutors charged and disposed of 751 cases involving illegal firearms in 2024. That represents a nearly 10% decrease from the previous year.
Despite the decline, the AG is still sounding the alarm over the number of illegally possessed firearms in the state.
“The data provided in this year’s report supports what we know to be true: Rhode Island has a gun problem,” Neronha wrote in the report submitted to Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio and House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi. “Our communities continue to be inundated with firearms, and as you are aware, more guns in the hands of criminals means more gun violence and death.”
That’s been especially true regarding cases in recent years surrounding so-called “ghost guns,” firearms that are crafted at home using a 3D printer or a mail-order kit. Legislation passed in 2020 prohibits the possession, sale and manufacturing of these kinds of weapons.
In 2022, Rhode Island saw 66 cases involving ghost guns but over the past two years that number has jumped. In 2023 there were 99 cases and last year, there were 100 cases. Most of the guns were produced with parts from Polymer80, one of the country’s largest manufacturers of ghost gun kits.
In addition to the state’s ban on ghost guns, the AG reports ongoing violations of the law prohibiting gun magazines holding more than 10 rounds. The law was enacted in 2022 and was upheld by a federal appeals court last March following a challenge from a group of gun owners who said the legislation violated the Second Amendment.
Prosecutors last year charged 246 cases involving magazines with a capacity between 11 and 30 bullets — down 16% from 2023. Cases where someone owned magazines with the capacity for over 30 bullets rose 5%, according to the AG’s office.
Neronha touted that his office is “working tirelessly” to address illegally-owned firearms through enforcement of existing laws and advocating for new ones such as last year’s mandate that all firearms not in use by the owner or another authorized user be stored in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant lock.
The AG, along with Gov. Dan McKee and other general officers, are pushing lawmakers to ban assault-style weapons.
“Combatting gun violence is, and will always be, a top priority for my office,” Neronha wrote. “Rhode Islanders deserve to live long, happy lives free from the threat of gun violence, and we intend to continue doing everything we can to keep them safe.”
Reached for comment on the latest data, spokespeople for the House and Senate said Shekarchi and Ruggerio had not yet reviewed the report. The same applies to Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, a North Smithfield Republican who has been a staunch opponent of the state’s gun safety laws.
The House Minority Office did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
