ATF agents warn of illegal devices that turn handguns into automatic weapons

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A new illegal device, easy to purchase and access, is making it more difficult for police to keep dangerous guns out of criminal hands. It's a growing concern that some law enforcement officers may not even know about.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms demonstrated how a small piece of plastic that has been found at more and more crime scenes can cause a catastrophic amount of harm.

Bryan DiGirolamo, the special agent in charge who covers the upstate New York region, explained, "This is highly dangerous. We are seeing it all over. All over Hudson Valley, all over New York state."

Inside of an undisclosed location, ATF agents showed NEWS10 how the small switch device can convert a handgun into an automatic weapon. "For law enforcement officers, it makes our job more dangerous than it already is," said DiGirolamo.

The plastic pieces are illegal to possess but easy to make. Mark Meeks, ATF Special Agent, explained, "With 3D printing and the internet, the information is, unfortunately, there."

The conversion devices can also turn a rifle into a machine gun. The difference is marked from regular rounds of shooting as it expels an entire magazine within seconds. "With the amount of rounds, it's catastrophic. Could be a catastrophic tragedy," said Meeks.

"More of the community, innocent members of the community, might get hit," DiGirolamo added.

To keep the chips and switches out of the wrong hands, ATF is working with officers at the local level to spot the small pieces.

"People who don't normally have access to firearms can get firearm parts and assemble their own," DiGirolamo explained.

With ghost guns also becoming more prevalent, the homemade devices add another challenging layer in targeting violent criminals. "These things are out there, and this is what the police officers that have to go to work every day have to contend with," said Meeks.

The training to spot these devices becomes even more crucial as it could mean more serious federal charges for a suspect and other leads in an investigation. Training recently took place in Albany with 300 officers at the New York State Police Academy to help officers identify the parts.