From September 20, 2025 ## 1. Overview Gun Trafficking Tracer is an application focused on combating gun trafficking. It helps citizens identify Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealers that may contribute to the trafficking of firearms and provides tools to take action and reduce illegal gun trafficking. --- ## 2. Application Structure The application is organized into two primary views to provide distinct user experiences: - **FFL Directory:** The main interface for searching, filtering, and browsing the list of FFLs. This view is designed for targeted investigation and information gathering on specific dealers. - **Analytics Dashboard:** A dedicated space for high-level data visualization. This dashboard operates on the entire dataset to provide a macro-level overview of trends, such as sales volume across all FFLs, and is designed to accommodate future chart-based analysis tools. --- ## 3. User Journeys The application supports the following critical user journeys: - **Location-Based Search:** Find FFLs close to a user's location. - **Violation-Based Search:** - Find FFLs with the most violations. - Find FFLs with a specific type of violation, as defined by the ATF's "zero tolerance" policy. - **Sales-Based Search:** Find FFLs with the highest sales volume. - **Crime-Based Search:** Find FFLs within 100 miles of a major violent crime hotspot. - **License Status Search:** Find FFLs whose licenses are currently revoked, previously revoked, or have a history of investigation. - **Weapon-Type Search:** Find FFLs that sell specific types of weapons, with a focus on those most commonly used in mass shootings. - **Detailed Browsing:** Browse a one-page listing for each FFL that provides a snapshot of key statistics. These user journeys are supported by familiar UI patterns like faceted search and dropdown menus. --- ## 4. Features ### 4.1 FFL Directory The primary view for interacting with the FFL data. #### 4.1.1 Filter, Sort, and Search - **Search Bar:** For finding FFLs by name or city. - **Filters:** Comprehensive options including License Status, Weapon Type, and Proximity to Crime Hotspots. - **Violation Type Filter:** A prominent, symmetrical grid of buttons that makes all "Zero Tolerance" violation types visible at once for easy selection. - **Sorting:** Options to sort by name, number of violations, or sales volume. ### 4.2 FFL Listing Pages Each FFL has a dedicated detail page that provides comprehensive information. #### 4.2.1 Information Displayed - **Business Name:** The official name of the FFL. - **Owner:** The parent company or owner, if applicable. - **Contact Information:** Address, phone number, and email. - **Local Government Contacts:** Contact information (phone and email) for the closest city hall and local police department. - **ATF Field Office:** Contact information (phone and email) for the nearest ATF field office. - **Sales Volume:** Estimated annual firearms sales volume, presented in a chart comparing the dealer's volume to regional and national averages. - **Average Firearms Per Sale:** The average number of firearms sold per transaction. - **Monthly Sales Timeline:** A large, 12-month bar chart visualizing sales volume over time, located in a prominent position for easy analysis. - **Violation History:** A chronological list of all recorded ATF "Zero Tolerance" violations. - **User Reviews:** A section for community-contributed reviews. #### 4.2.2 Calls-to-Action (CTAs) - **Review on Google Maps:** A prominent, primary button that links directly to the FFL's Google Maps page to encourage public feedback. - **Report Suspicious Activity:** A modal with pre-defined options for reporting activities like straw purchases. - **Contact Govt Officials:** A modal providing contact details for local law enforcement, city officials, and the ATF. - **Leave an Internal Review:** A form for users to submit their own reviews within the app. - Includes an AI-powered option to generate a review summary based on the FFL's violation history. ### 4.3 Analytics Dashboard A dedicated view for high-level data visualization, operating on the entire FFL dataset. - **Sales Volume Analytics:** A bar chart displaying the relative annual sales volume for all FFLs, highlighting statistical outliers. - **Violation Type Distribution:** A horizontal bar chart showing the frequency of each "Zero Tolerance" violation type across all dealers, making it easy to see which infractions are most common. - **Average Firearms Per Sale:** A bar chart comparing dealers based on their average firearms per sale, helping to identify potential straw purchasing indicators. - **Violations vs. Sales Volume:** A scatter plot that visualizes dealers based on their violation count and sales volume, designed to spot outliers (e.g., high violations with low sales). ### 4.4 Crime Data Integration The application incorporates crime data to provide geographic context to FFL locations. - **Proximity Search:** A filter in the FFL Directory allows users to find all FFLs within a 100-mile radius of a selected major crime hotspot. - **Public Data Links:** The application provides a dedicated section with direct links to reputable public crime data sources, such as the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). ### 4.5 About this App - **Access:** A clearly visible "About" text button in the header opens a modal window. - **Content:** The modal provides a user-friendly overview of the application's purpose and key features, drawing directly from the critical user journeys outlined in this document. It explains how to effectively use the search, filter, and analytics tools to identify FFLs of interest. - **Design:** The modal is sized appropriately for its content and allows for scrolling to ensure all information is accessible. --- ## 5. Key Definitions ### 5.1 ATF Zero Tolerance Policy Violations The application specifically tracks the following five serious violations: 1. Transferring a firearm to a prohibited person. 2. Failing to conduct a required background check. 3. Falsifying records, such as a Firearm Transaction Record (Form 4473). 4. Failing to respond to an ATF tracing request. 5. Refusing to permit the ATF to conduct an inspection. --- ## 6. Data ### 6.1 FFL Data The app is pre-populated with a list of FFLs, including several with documented histories of violations, varying sales volumes, and precise geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude) to demonstrate the application's core functionality. ### 6.2 Crime Data The app uses a curated list of major crime "hotspots" with associated geographic coordinates to power the proximity search feature. --- ## 7. Design & Theme - **Theme:** Dark theme for improved readability and a modern aesthetic. - **Header:** A large, centered header featuring the application title. The header no longer includes a logo. - **UI Components:** Inputs, text, and tables are styled for clarity and alignment. --- ## 8. Change Log - **v1.0 - v2.2:** See previous versions for details. - **v2.3:** - **Feature - About Modal:** Added an "About this App" modal, accessible from a button in the header, to explain the application's key features and user journeys to the user. - **Branding - App Name:** Changed the application name from "FFL Tracer" to "Gun Trafficking Tracer". - **UI - About Button:** Replaced the icon for the "About" modal with a text button for better clarity.