Hawaii has become the first state in the nation to turn over all of its gun owners to a federal database, but it hopes to be a model for other states to do the same.
The database, called “Rap Back,” is run by the FBI and informs police when a gunowner is arrested anywhere in the US, CNN reported.
“This will allow county police departments in Hawaii to evaluate whether the firearm owner may continue to legally possess and own firearms,” the state’s Democrat Gov. David Ige said in a statement.
“This is about our community’s safety and responsible gun ownership,” the statement read. “This system will better enable our law enforcement agencies to ensure the security of all Hawaii residents and visitors to our islands.”
Maj. Richard Robinson of the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) celebrated the law as an “ongoing background check on firearm owners.”
