Ann Givens
The Trace
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Ann:
How an Affable Louisiana Bureaucrat Made it Tougher for Criminals to Get Guns
The gun background check system is only as good as the records it contains. How one affable bureaucrat made Louisiana a national leader in flagging people banned from owning firearms. → Read More
Surging Gun Sales and Shelter in Place Orders Make a Dangerous Mix for Domestic Violence
Widespread economic strain, a surge in firearm sales, and social distancing could have grave consequences for victims of intimate partner abuse, experts warn. → Read More
After a Mass Shooting, Who Cares for the Coroners?
Las Vegas's death investigators witnessed the atrocities of the Route 91 shooting, then had to grapple with the difficult task of healing themselves. → Read More
A New Method of DNA Testing Could Solve More Shootings
Criminologists thought it was impossible to get DNA off of shell casings, but a technique pioneered in the Netherlands is having notable results. → Read More
A New Book Tells the Stories of Strength Amid Chicago’s Relentless Shootings
We talked to author Alex Kotlowitz about what’s changed, and what hasn’t, in his city over the past 30 years. → Read More
Police Departments Fail to Trace Crime Guns Regularly
Our analysis of a batch of crime guns from South Carolina found that police ran a trace only 40 percent of the time. Experts say uneven tracing impedes criminal investigations. → Read More
New Federal Grants Seek to Boost Prosecutions of Gun Ballistics Cases
A national database of shell casings has been deployed unevenly. So the DOJ is encouraging lawyers who want to use it to link and crack cases. → Read More
How a Scrappy California Crime Lab Learned to Crack More Gun Cases
Propelled by a new, no-nonsense boss, Contra Costa County ditched the excuses that keep many law enforcement agencies from taking better advantage of a crime-fighting database called NIBIN. → Read More
FBI to Add Major Law Enforcement Database to Gun Background Check System
The bureau is getting ready to tap National Data Exchange and its 400 million records to help screen gun buyers. Experts say N-DEx would have blocked the Charleston church shooter from obtaining his murder weapon. → Read More
Bank Withheld $1.6 Million from Top Bump Stock Maker After Las Vegas Shooting
In a lawsuit, Slide Fire accuses Merrick Bank of holding its money "hostage." The financial institution says it had to hedge its risk. → Read More
How California Took Action to Address a Risky Change to Gun Background Checks
A new "fugitive from justice" definition has increased the odds that some violent criminals will be able to buy a firearm, experts say. → Read More
Connecticut Got $400,000 to Stop Fugitives From Buying Guns. Then the Justice Department Changed the Rules.
Information on 52,000 open warrants was purged earlier this year from the main background check database. → Read More
Gun Cases Are Fueling the Growth of NYC's Unregulated DNA Database
The city is ramping up its efforts to collect genetic material. But the absence of oversight alarms forensic and legal experts. → Read More
Gun Cases are Notoriously Hard to Make Stick. New York Thinks It Has the Answer.
The city launched an ambitious program to collect DNA from every gun recovered by police. Questions remain about its effectiveness. → Read More
Justice Department Document Lowers Bar for 'Fugitives' Who Try to Buy Guns
The ATF has long wanted a narrower rule for would-be firearms purchasers subject to active warrants. Its interpretation just won out. → Read More
ATF Executive Pitches a More Gun Industry-Friendly Bureau
Former officials say the memo could be Ronald Turk's pitch to the Trump administration for the agency's top job. → Read More
On Patrol With Chicago’s Last Violence Interrupters
Cure Violence has shown promise in reducing crime. But with its funding slashed in Chicago, a few remaining foot soldiers struggle to make a difference. → Read More
Nassau County Executive, Wife Indicted in Federal Corruption Probe: Sources
Prosecutors are expected to unseal a federal corruption-related indictment against Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, his wife and Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto Thursday, NBC 4 New York has learned. → Read More
4 Investigates: Disabled Long Island Man Loses Life Savings in IRS Scam
IRS scam callers targeting New Yorkers have drained the life savings of a legally blind and disabled man from Long Island by convincing him to buy $12,100 in Target gift cards. → Read More
Exclusive: Bombing Suspect Leaves Alleged Suitcase Bomb on NYC Street, Multiple Passersby Kick It, Video Shows
Exclusive new surveillance video shows suspected bomber Ahmad Rahami dumping luggage allegedly containing a pressure-cooker bomb on a Manhattan street Saturday night, and the heartstopping moments in which... → Read More