What is the view of the Violence Policy Center on personalized guns?
Personalized gun technology may prevent a very small percentage of gun-related death and injury. It could perhaps prove valuable for law enforcement officers, since a significant percentage of officers killed or wounded in the line of duty are shot with their own or their partner’s service weapon. In general, however, the smart gun falls far short of the sweeping benefits its proponents claim. Any benefits would likely be outweighed by an increase in gun-owning households. Overstating the value of personalized guns will ultimately result in public cynicism regarding policy efforts to reduce gun death and injury, and delay the implementation of truly effective solutions.
