For the systematic tracing of firearms from the manufacturer to the firearms dealer and then to the last legal owner Lithuania uses the electronic services of the police. It is the most effective way to control and manage weapons and ammunition owned by civilians. In Lithuania software tools are used for the registration and tracing of firearms and its holders as well as issuing licenses for these weapons. The main advantage of using these software tools is the continuous cooperation between licensed arms dealers (manufacturers) and the police. According to Lithuanian legislation arms manufacturers and dealers have the obligation to provide information on manufactured, imported, purchased, collected, transferred, sold or exported firearms to the police electronically through the official police website. All submitted information is structured. It helps to avoid mistakes. It is required to identify the dealer who provides the information through the website. The dealers of firearms and police officers use the same database for providing and receiving information on firearms. Every manufacturer or dealer has a special account on the police website. Only persons authorized by the dealer and police have the right to access this account. The dealers have an obligation to manage their own weapons on the police website there is no obligation for the dealer to have firearm's registration books in the form of paper files and the dealer no longer has to go to the police station to submit paper files on manufactured, purchased or sold firearms.
Furthermore, such cooperation between dealers and the police is useful for the police officers, who must physically check the dealer's warehouses two times per year. With the usage of a shared database the checking of large amounts of firearms in the dealer's warehouses became a lot easier.
In addition, the electronic database is also useful for people who wish to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer because there is no need for them to go to the police station to register the purchased firearm. With the electronic software tools the purchased firearm is registered according to the information, which was received from the dealer of firearms electronically. Moreover, the guns dealer issues a firearm's certificate to the new owner of the firearm. The dealer is also obliged by the law to check if a person has the right to purchase specific firearms or ammunition before selling these items to the person. The dealer enters the data from the ID card and the permit into the system and the software automatically informs the dealer about the specific types of firearms and calibers of ammunition, which the person is allowed to have. This measure means that the possibility to purchase firearms by presenting forged documents is eliminated.
Also online people who wish to purchase a firearm, have the possibility to submit applications to receive permits to own firearms as well as to check their individual firearm permits and certificates through the police website.
The police can monitor online which specific persons wish to purchase firearms or obtained firearms as well as quantities and types of these firearms. Thanks to this measure the police has possibility can take immediate actions.
Therefore, such electronic and systematic tracing of legal firearms and its owners is useful for all parties involved in the process – the police, the dealers, manufacturers and owners of firearms.
Police department is the main stakeholder of the electronic system for registered firearms. Licensed dealers and manufacturers are responsible for submitting data into the system. They have a special account on the police website and are obliged to manage their own weapons on the police website. The police can access and manage all data.
The police has all relevant information on firearms ant its owners. The police can monitor online which specific persons obtained firearms as well as quantities and types of these firearms. Moreover the police has information The police has all relevant information on firearms ant its owners. The police can monitor online which specific persons obtained firearms as well as quantities and types of these firearms. More over the police has information on all persons in Lithuania who are going to purchase firearms. Then after submitting the application in the electronic system the two weeks silence procedure is applied. This information on all persons, who wish to purchase firearms, is very important to the intelligence services of Lithuania because they have the possibility to cancel the issuing of a permit to suspicious persons.
The solution saves time for dealers, because they do not need to go to the police station to submit paper files on manufactured, purchased or sold firearms as well as they do not have obligation to manage firearm's registration books in the form of paper files. It is enough to manage their own weapons on the police website.
Also this electronic system saves time for for people who wish to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer because there is no need for them to go to the police station to register the purchased firearm (the purchased firearm is registered according to the information, which was received from the dealer of firearms electronically). People, who wish to purchase a firearm, have the possibility to submit applications to receive permits to own firearms through the police website. This possibility also saves time.
Public Security Police of Portugal and Federal Police of Germany are going to create similar information system for cooperation between Licensed firearms dealers and police.
The sustainability is ensured by monitoring the achieved results of the project every year starting from 2014. Information Society Development Committee under the Ministry of Transport and Communications is responsible for monitoring.
The administration provides support for maintenance of the information system. Also every year the information system is developed and extended. For example, next year the connection with customs information system will be established. After that the customs will have information online on issued permits to transfer firearms trough EU internal or external borders.