This Appendix sets forth brief summaries of each of the 93 locally-based firearms violence reduction strategies that were developed and are being implemented in each federal judicial district as part of the Integrated National Firearms Violence Reduction Strategy (the National Strategy). The evolving strategies were created by the local U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Field Division Offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), in close collaboration with other federal law enforcement agencies, state and local law enforcement authorities, state and local prosecutors, elected leaders, and various other community stakeholders, including representatives of private businesses, researchers, educators, social services providers, community organizations, and members of the faith community. These district gun violence reduction plans contain both proven methods and promising new programs to reduce firearms crime and violence in particular communities.
In developing the local strategies, each jurisdiction assessed the nature and scope of its own gun violence problem; examined the legal tools available in the jurisdiction to address firearms violence, including federal and state firearms laws and sentencing provisions; reviewed and strengthened existing law enforcement efforts and other local prevention and intervention initiatives to combat gun violence; and developed additional strategies that responded to its particular gun violence problems.
Because each local strategy was created by and for a unique community,
each strategy is individualized to the needs and circumstances of that
community. In each federal district, however, the strategy includes vigorous
investigation and prosecution of persons who misuse firearms in committing
violent crimes and illegal traffickers of firearms. Many of the strategies
use relatively new informational techniques, such as crime gun tracing
and analysis and violent crime mapping, to identify and apprehend violent
offenders and gun traffickers, and many use innovative enforcement methods,
such as the "pulling levers" approach, to break the cycle of gun violence.
Each strategy provides for regular coordination among federal, state and
local law enforcement to ensure a comprehensive and aggressive attack on
gun violence.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
In early 1999, the Northern District of
Alabama established "Project Isolating the Criminal Element" ("Project
I.C.E.") to address the high level of gun homicides in the City of Birmingham.
Project I.C.E. includes vigorous prosecution of substantially all federal
firearms violations, identified through a partnership with the Birmingham
Police Department, ATF and the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office.
Project I.C.E. also provides for intensive training of local law enforcement
officers on federal and state firearms laws and procedures. A community
outreach component of Project I.C.E. has included television, radio
and billboard advertisements, as well as bumper stickers and yard signs.
See
Figure 7 of the National Strategy. Project I.C.E. will expand to cover
the entire district, with an appropriate balance between federal and state
prosecutions. A coordinated referral mechanism, including a designated
prosecutor in the local District Attorney's Office who will participate
in the referrals, and may be appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney
to try cases in federal court, will be critical to this expansion. The
cities of Birmingham, Gadsden, Huntsville, Talladega, and Tuscaloosa within
the Northern District of Alabama have entered into agreements with the
ATF to enforce a comprehensive crime gun tracing program under ATF's Youth
Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative (YCGII). Project I.C.E. is complemented
by Operation Safe Home, a cooperative federal, state and local initiative
which targets violent crime in public housing complexes.
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
The firearms violence reduction strategy
in the Middle District of Alabama is based on cooperation and communication
among all members of the community, as well as traditional enforcement
and prosecution efforts by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
The plan includes federal and state firearms prosecutions, with selection
for federal prosecution made by a case review group, which is chaired by
an Assistant U.S. Attorney and is comprised of representatives from agencies
that have regular contact with firearms cases, such as ATF, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshal's Service, the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), and selected state prosecutors and law enforcement
agencies. The plan also involves outreach efforts to make educators, community
leaders and organizations aware of the district's efforts to reduce violence
associated with handguns. The district's plan targets illegal gun trafficking,
as well as all incidents involving firearms on school campuses. It will
initially concentrate on the Montgomery area, with the implementation of
comprehensive crime gun tracing. A similar approach will follow in the
Auburn-Opelika, Phenix City and Dothan areas. ATF will provide training
to law enforcement agencies throughout the district on firearms identification
and crime gun tracing. ATF also conducts a "Gang Resistance Education and
Training" ("GREAT") program in the schools in the district. In addition,
ATF is working with a battered women's shelter to provide assistance when
guns are present in domestic violence situations.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
The Southern District of Alabama is a large,
predominantly rural district, where gun ownership is widespread. Alabama's
permissive gun laws, crowded criminal dockets and overcrowded prisons make
it very difficult for state and local law enforcement to battle firearms
violence. As a result, the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF formed "FIST,"
a task force in which federal, state and local law enforcement collaborate
to investigate and prosecute illegal traffickers of firearms, as well as
other criminals involved in violent criminal activity and narcotics violations.
FIST also seeks to develop public support for anti-crime efforts by educating
the community about the district's gun problems, applicable gun laws, gun
safety and FIST's own efforts. ATF's focused compliance inspections of
federal firearms licensees (FFLs) who have a high number of firearms trafficking
indicators associated with their businesses augment the district's criminal
enforcement efforts.
DISTRICT OF ALASKA
The District of Alaska's gun violence reduction
efforts focus on Anchorage, where nearly half of Alaska's population resides.
Particular firearms problems include illegal gun possession and use by
gang members and others engaged in illegal drug dealing and related criminal
activity. Alaska's three pronged strategy involves: (1) investigation and
prosecution of firearms crime through the multi-jurisdictional Safe Streets
Task Force, in which ATF and other federal, state and local law enforcement
authorities participate; (2) use of technology and sophisticated data analysis,
through comprehensive crime gun tracing and electronic crime mapping; and
(3) using the "pulling levers" approach to deter further gun violence by
repeat offenders under state or federal supervision.
DISTRICT OF ARIZONA
The crime problem in Arizona is exacerbated
by its border with Mexico and its position as a staging area for illegal
drug importation and distribution, as well as alien smuggling, which has
become increasingly associated with violent crime. In addition, firearms
are trafficked to youth and juveniles, particularly in Phoenix and Tucson.
Arizona's "Operation Cease Fire" currently has four components, each coordinated
through the Arizona Law Enforcement Coordinating Council. The first component
targets illegal trafficking in firearms, including "straw purchases" from
licensed dealers, as well as criminal rings and non-compliant dealers who
are the sources of firearms used in crimes. Comprehensive crime gun tracing
and ATF compliance inspections will be used to identify offenders. The
second component employs task forces, especially near the border with Mexico,
and cooperation from Mexican officials, to identify and prosecute dealers,
intermediaries and exporters who are supplying firearms to criminals in
Mexico, who in turn are involved in drug and alien smuggling, robbing aliens
attempting to enter the United States, assaulting Border Patrol and Customs
officers, and other criminal activity. The third component employs focused
federal, state and local deterrence efforts, with federal prosecutions
used for armed offenders for whom state sanctions are inadequate. As part
of this effort, training will be provided to assure that local law enforcement
officers are aware of possible federal sanctions, and public service announcements
(PSAs) will be developed. The fourth component expands several ongoing
successful anti-firearms violence programs in the district and assures
coordination among them.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS
Drug trafficking and use, including that
by gangs, is the major source of firearms-related violence in the Eastern
District of Arkansas. The district's multi-faceted plan to reduce gun violence
continues several proven successful efforts, such as comprehensive crime
gun tracing and investigating and prosecuting gang violence through the
district's violent crime task force, "METROCK." To address firearms trafficking,
ATF and state and local law enforcement officers have established a Firearms
Trafficking Task Force, whose work will be assisted by the new program
to test fire every crime gun via cooperation between the Arkansas Crime
Lab, FBI and ATF. The district will also continue to deter illegal firearms
trafficking at gun shows through ATF undercover operations. ATF and the
U.S. Attorney's Office will help educate law enforcement officers about
resources and strategies for reducing firearms-related violence, and will
provide local prosecutors with information about federal firearms offenses
and sentences to encourage appropriate referrals. The district also plans
to develop a partnership with Little Rock schools to educate school children
about the dangers of firearms.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS
The Western District of Arkansas consists
of 34 counties, covering almost 25,000 square miles, with a population
of more than one million people. The district shares borders with Texas,
Oklahoma and Missouri. The district's gun violence problem consists primarily
of firearms possession and use by career criminals, violent felons, gang
members and drug dealers. Four communities have been identified as target
sites for the firearms violence reduction strategy: Hot Springs, Texarkana,
Fort Smith and Rogers. The district's firearms violence reduction strategy
emphasizes increasing cooperation with state and local law enforcement,
with the goal of prosecuting more firearms crimes federally, so that appropriate
offenders receive longer prison sentences than are available under state
or local law. To encourage state and local law enforcement to refer firearms
cases for federal adoption, representatives of the U.S. Attorney's office
are traveling throughout the district, informing state and local law officers
of the various federal firearm statutes and the long prison sentences that
can be meted out in the federal system, and actively soliciting firearms
cases. The District participates in a firearms trafficking task force and,
working with the Eastern District of Arkansas, it conducted a training
program for local law enforcement called "National Guns First: Training
for Law Enforcement Officers to Help Reduce Illegal Trafficking of Firearms."
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
The Northern District of California encompasses
several major metropolitan areas, including San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond,
San Jose and San Rafael. These cities share the same types of gun-related
crime as other major cities: drug trafficking, drive-by shootings and gangs.
The State of California has among the most restrictive firearms laws in
the Nation. California's laws generally mirror those of the federal system,
and include prohibitions against assault weapons and short barreled rifles
and shotguns. California also has strict guidelines regarding the licensing
of firearms dealers and manufacturers, as well as a law limiting the sale
of firearms to one handgun per month to any individual. As a result of
these strong state firearms laws, the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF have
developed an effective, collaborative relationship with state and local
law enforcement throughout the district, so that every gun case that should
be prosecuted is prosecuted in either state or federal court. These investigative
and prosecutorial efforts, known collectively as "Triggerlock II/Project
Exile," are supported by a marketing campaign to make the public aware
of the gun enforcement program, and to encourage citizen reporting of illegal
gun possession. As part of the Triggerlock II/Project Exile program, on
February 14, 2000, the U.S. Attorney's Office, in cooperation with federal,
state and city agencies, as well as community organizations, initiated
a gun/gang violence reduction program, entitled "Total Mission," in the
Mission District of San Francisco. Total Mission is the first in a series
of neighborhood-based coalitions that will incorporate a strategy of crime
suppression, intervention, and prevention.
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
This district spans 40,007 miles with a
population of nearly 18 million people, making it the most populous district
in the country. It is comprised of seven counties that include a total
of more than 175 cities. Violent crime problems vary considerably from
city to city, and a response to gun violence throughout the district is
part of the district's overall law enforcement strategy. The district is
developing a variety of specific gun violence reduction strategies in response
to the needs of particular communities. Each of the strategies involves
a coordinated effort between federal, state and local law enforcement and
government agencies. The district's first initiative responding to the
President's directive is a comprehensive one designed to improve the quality
of life in the City of Compton through an intensive effort to enforce criminal
laws and a concurrent drive to develop resources, programs and facilities
for the city's youth. "Kids First!," as the initiative is known, combines
an aggressive and coordinated effort between federal and local law enforcement
and prosecutors with an infusion of resources to develop and enhance youth
programs, ranging from juvenile delinquency prevention to health, arts
and education programs. Since the commencement of Kids First!, the district
has begun work with local authorities to develop additional gun violence
reduction projects targeted at specific sections of the City of Los Angeles,
the largest urban center in the district, and the San Fernando Valley.
Kids First! and the other gun violence reduction projects involve combinations
of the following approaches: a co-located federal, state and local task
force; comprehensive crime gun tracing; close coordination between federal
and local prosecutors to assure that appropriate cases are referred for
federal prosecution; training for local law enforcement officers; support
sponsored by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for local law enforcement
needs; coordinated information management; close monitoring of probationers
and parolees; aggressive deployment of the U.S. Marshal's Service to apprehend
fugitives; and social and economic development projects.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
Both the overall crime rate and firearms
violence are concentrated primarily in the same three counties within the
Eastern District of California: San Joaquin, Fresno and Sacramento. The
U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF are coordinating with local and state law
enforcement authorities and with local District Attorneys to assure that
federal prosecution occurs in all appropriate firearms cases, including
domestic violence cases. The district's gun violence reduction strategy
also includes: (1) "Operation Peacekeeper" in Stockton (based on Boston's
"Operation Ceasefire") which uses communications, street-level counselors
and intense uniformed law enforcement response to any gun violence by gangs,
and which helped reduce the youth homicide rate in Stockton by 75 percent
in 1998; (2) violent fugitive task forces in Sacramento and Stockton; (3)
gang investigative task forces, including the "Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement
Consortium" (MAGEC) in Fresno; (4) participation in Weed and Seed; (5)
a "School Gun Violence Committee"; (6) gun interdiction and anti-trafficking
training for local authorities; (7) use of "National Instant Criminal Background
Check System" (NICS) information to target violent offenders; and (8) a
"Domestic Violence Case Coordination Program," under which federal prosecutors
and District Attorneys screen firearms cases resulting from domestic violence
incidents to select the most effective venue for prosecution.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
The firearms violence problems in the Southern
District of California are primarily juvenile-, gang- and drug-related,
but also involve a number of corrupt federal firearms licensees who sell
to straw purchasers. These purchasers in turn sell guns to prohibited persons
or traffic guns across the border into Mexico. Because the easy availability
of guns to prohibited persons contributes significantly to the area's crime
problems, the main objective of the district's gun strategy is to reduce
criminal access to weapons. This will be accomplished by limiting the illegal
sources of firearms through comprehensive crime gun tracing, targeting
straw purchasers and targeting FFLs who sell to prohibited persons or obvious
straw purchasers as well as those who engage in cross-border gun trafficking.
The district intends to build upon several existing multi-agency task forces
to enhance investigation of these persons; to implement a "zero tolerance"
policy regarding the prosecution of these types of cases; to aggressively
investigate and prosecute Brady Act false forms cases; and to provide gun
interdiction training to local police officers, investigators and attorneys.
The district's plan involves the cooperation and partnership of every law
enforcement agency in the district.
DISTRICT OF COLORADO
Although firearms crime has decreased in
Colorado over the past two decades, even in growing urban areas like Denver,
weapons offenses among juveniles have doubled. The areas with the highest
gun violence, and therefore the focus of the district's initiative, are
the Denver Metropolitan area and the Colorado Springs/Pueblo corridor.
The district's short-term goal is to more aggressively pursue federal and
state prosecutions of gun law violations, and to develop a public awareness
campaign directed at changing the culture of gun violence in Colorado.
To that end, under "Colorado Project Exile," the U.S. Attorney's Office
is working with state and local law enforcement to develop a coordinated
intake mechanism to channel gun cases into the federal or state court depending
upon which jurisdiction has the strictest sentencing laws for the particular
crime. The district intends to more aggressively pursue prohibited person
in possession cases, and crimes such as possession of a stolen firearm,
possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, possession of
a sawed-off shotgun, gun dealer violations and Brady Act false forms cases.
The district will also provide training to local law enforcement personnel
in the investigation and prosecution of firearms cases. To address illegal
trafficking, ATF participates in a gun task force in Colorado Springs,
Denver and Aurora and in a youth crime gun interdiction initiative in Metropolitan
Denver that includes comprehensive crime gun tracing and analysis to identify
traffickers and violent crime "hot spots." In the long-term, the district
intends to work with the private and non-profit sectors, as well as other
local leaders, to implement violence prevention and education initiatives
which will ultimately add gun violence to the list of conduct which society
simply will no longer tolerate.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Although the District of Columbia has a
comprehensive set of local firearms laws that prohibits the acquisition,
possession and use of almost all firearms by non-law enforcement, illegal
guns nonetheless continue to be present in the District of Columbia in
significant numbers, fueling an extremely high rate of homicides and non-fatal
firearm assaults. Building on a 1995 program of the same name, the District
of Columbia's "Operation CEASEFIRE," a joint effort by the U.S. Attorney's
Office, the ATF and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), implements
a wide range of programs and strategies that include aggressive law enforcement
efforts, prevention programs aimed at youth, and community participation.
First, the U.S. Attorney's Office recently expanded its community prosecution
program-assigning a team of prosecutors to work with the police and community
representatives-to every police district in the city, thus enabling a district-by-district
focus upon the city's gun problem. Second, the U.S. Attorney created a
"Gang Prosecution Section" to increase the number of federal prosecutions
of violent gangs. Third, the U.S. Attorney's Office will prosecute every
violation of the federal felon-in-possession law in federal court (rather
than in the D.C. Superior Court under D.C. law) and increase the number
of federal prosecutions of armed drug dealers. Fourth, the District of
Columbia has a comprehensive crime gun tracing program under ATF's YCGII.
Further, ATF has established a regional crime gun center to gather intelligence
on illegal gun trafficking, increase prosecutions of illegal gun traffickers
and support local and federal efforts to prosecute gun crimes. Fifth, the
U.S. Attorney's Office will seek to increase enforcement of probation and
parole violations and violations of pretrial conditions of release by those
offenders at risk for engaging in additional criminal activity. At the
same time, the District of Columbia will work with city and faith community
leaders to provide mentoring opportunities and alternatives to crime to
those offenders seeking to change their criminal lifestyles. Sixth, the
District of Columbia will expand school and community-based programs aimed
at preventing youth participation in drug trafficking and gun violence,
which will augment the existing ATF and MPD GREAT program in the schools.
Finally, the District of Columbia will continue to implement a comprehensive
media campaign to increase public awareness of gun-related crime and violence,
and encourage the community to report illegal guns.
DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT
In recent years, gang task forces in Connecticut
have dramatically reduced firearms violence in Hartford, New Haven and
Bridgeport. These task forces have made particularly effective use of federal
wiretap capabilities to dismantle organized drug gangs in these cities.
These successes have generated a need for strategies to address the more
decentralized violent crime patterns emerging in some locations. To assess
this new threat, the U.S. Attorney's Office spearheaded a collaborative
law enforcement review of murders, assaults, robberies and reports of "shots
fired" in New Haven. The results were shared with a broad array of community
representatives, who were invited to help develop new strategies to address
firearms violence. The strategy developed as a result of this process includes
a targeted deterrence approach, with weekly meetings between federal and
state prosecutors, ATF, state probation officers and police officers at
police sub-stations to identify violent individuals at large, and to agree
on proactive approaches for developing drug, gun or other cases against
them. As part of this effort, a computer mapping program reflecting all
shooting-related incidents and firearm recoveries is in the process of
being implemented for use by the New Haven Department of Police Services
and ATF. This component of the project will supplement the previously implemented
comprehensive gun tracing project which is operating in the district's
principal cities and is coordinated by ATF. In addition, targeted probationers
and parolees are called to special "pulling levers" sessions where they
are warned directly of the joint crackdown on firearms, and representatives
of employment, substance abuse and educational programs offer them alternatives
to violent crime.
DISTRICT OF DELAWARE
Although the number of shootings has dropped
dramatically in Wilmington, the city continues to experience a disproportionate
share of the state's violence. Federal, state and local authorities, including
the Delaware Department of Probation and Parole, under the auspices of
the U.S. Attorney's Office, have been meeting since August 1999, and are
implementing an initiative entitled "Make the Right Choice" to put chronic
offenders on notice that both law enforcement and the community will not
tolerate violent acts in Wilmington, and to encourage the chronic offenders
to take advantage of various services such as drug counseling and employment
counseling that are available in the community. This program is modeled
generally on a program in the Middle District of North Carolina. ATF also
has a firearms trafficking task force that focuses on the Wilmington area
and is coordinated with the U.S. Attorney's Office.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
The Northern District of Florida encompasses
largely rural areas of the state, in which the gun violence problem differs
somewhat from more urban areas. To develop the district strategy, the U.S.
Attorney's Office, ATF, DEA and other federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies coordinated closely. The district gun violence reduction plan
addresses the use of firearms by drug dealers, the possession of guns by
persons convicted of violent felonies and the sale of guns by unlicensed
persons at gun shows. Because Florida recently enacted statutory enhancements
for crimes of violence and crimes involving the use of firearms, the strategy
relies on coordination between the U.S. Attorney's Office and the State
Attorney's Offices to enable prosecutions in the state system. In addition,
the U.S. Attorney's Office is working with ATF to reduce illegal firearms
trafficking in the district.
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
The Middle District is the largest of the
three districts in the State of Florida, covering 35 of the state's 67
counties with approximately eight million of Florida's 13 million people.
Two of the Nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas and five of the
Nation's fastest growing counties are located in the district. The most
prevalent gun problem is violent crime followed by international, interstate
and intrastate firearms trafficking. "Operation HALT the Violence!" (HALT!)
is a local, state and federal partnership, which includes law enforcement,
prosecutors' offices, and probation and parole, among others, to reduce
firearm violence and illicit trafficking. HALT! is a seven-prong plan (the
"7 Ps") designed to: identify the particular crime problems and
those offenders causing the problem (Problem Analysis); aggressively
investigate and prosecute the most chronic offenders in federal and state
court (Proactive Enforcement & Prosecution); coordinate
comprehensive police training to enhance expertise in investigating gun
violence cases (Police Training); notify offenders of the community's
intolerance of violent acts and offer alternative opportunities to change
their violent behavior (Prevention Through Intervention); develop
a strong public service advertising campaign (Prevention Education);
coordinate community partnerships and a multi-agency approach for the delivery
of community resources (Planned Response Through Partnerships);
and develop an on-going process to ascertain the effectiveness of the strategy
and make changes as necessary (Process of Evaluation). The objectives
of HALT! are to reduce violent crime by: locating and seizing unlawfully
possessed guns; swiftly prosecuting offenders of federal and state ("10-20-Life")
gun laws; and preventing future access to guns by felons. Innovative policies
are being developed with ATF to analyze and attack the problem of straw
purchases, FFL violations and other illicit trafficking in firearms. A
public awareness campaign will incorporate the National Citizens Crime
Prevention Campaign's PSAs, "Making Children, Families, and Communities
Safer From Violence," which will include "Not One More" partnerships with
communities in a "Weed & Seed"-style approach to gun violence.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
The Southern District of Florida encompasses
nine counties, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, and
is home to over four million residents. Law enforcement officials identify
the easy availability of firearms to criminals as the most important factor
contributing to firearms violence in this jurisdiction. The district's
strategy therefore concentrates on keeping firearms out of the hands of
criminals in order to reduce the district's worst firearms violence problems:
tourist robberies, bank robberies, drug market turf battles and carjackings.
Federal, state and local law enforcement and government officials have
worked with community groups and local churches to develop a number of
new strategies designed to reduce firearms violence and reinvigorate existing
programs. These strategies include: (1) "Operation Denial," which uses
the pool of applicants for firearms denied approval under the Brady Act
to identify and prosecute serious felons in search of firearms; (2) "Operation
Pawntrack," which seeks to identify and prosecute felons attempting to
pawn firearms; (3) the "Gun Show Task Force," a joint effort by ATF and
state law enforcement targeting illegal weapons sales at gun shows; (4)
"Project C.A.R.G.O.," a public education program aimed at youth, featuring
seminars about handgun injuries, and which includes the distribution of
gun locks with instructions on their proper use; (5) "Operation Drug-Fire,"
to expand firearms crime evidence testing and the dissemination of the
information, working with the Miami-Dade County Gun Squad to enhance prosecution
of violent offenders; (6) the "Robbery Information Clearinghouse," to facilitate
the sharing of information between law enforcement agencies; (7) the "Miami/Miami-Dade
County Weed and Seed Gun Abatement Strategy," to prevent firearms violence
through educational programs in schools and gun swaps, with the help of
churches, non-profit organizations and local law enforcement; and (8) the
YCGII in Miami, to implement comprehensive crime gun tracing.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
The gun violence reduction strategy in
the Northern District of Georgia currently targets "hot spots" and chronic
offenders in the City of Atlanta. Called "Operation FACE 5," because an
illegal firearm in Atlanta can equal 5 years
in prison, the strategy consists of a comprehensive partnership between
a large number of federal and state law enforcement agencies, elected officials,
probation and parole officers, community leaders, church and community
organizations, media representatives and educators. The program focuses
on vigorous investigation and prosecution of federal and state firearms
laws through cooperation between the U.S. Attorney's Office, the local
District Attorneys' Offices, ATF and local law enforcement; as well as
a public awareness campaign, a community support campaign and confrontations
with chronic offenders. Comprehensive crime gun tracing, ballistics information,
debriefing of offenders, educational outreach and conflict resolution in
public schools, and academic analyses of crime and public health data are
all important parts of the district strategy.
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
The Middle District of Georgia covers a
broad geographic area, and encompasses the jurisdictions of 70 Sheriffs'
Departments and over 100 police departments. Federal authorities historically
have vigorously pursued armed career criminal cases, and the state now
has a very tough "two strikes and you're out law" to deal with repeat offenders.
The district's strategy calls for extensive outreach to state and local
law enforcement to encourage the referral of appropriate firearms cases
for federal prosecution, and new initiatives based on information from
an extensive study by the Mayor's "Youth Violence Prevention Task Force"
in Macon. This study found a significant problem existed with young people
possessing guns due to their association with illegal narcotics activity
and with gang activity. The strategy calls for an adoption of the successful
efforts produced in High Point, North Carolina, involving targeted deterrence
and active law enforcement involvement with the community. The strategy
will focus on the cities of Macon and Athens. The objectives of this strategy
are: 1) to prevent or reduce the number of assaults and deaths resulting
from gun violence; 2) to reduce other gun-related crime; 3) to increase
public confidence in law enforcement and encourage citizen involvement;
4) to identify and target repeat violent offenders; 5) to notify remaining
offenders of the community's intolerance of future violence and offer alternatives;
and 6) to achieve these objectives through the cooperative efforts of local,
state and federal law enforcement, with the full support of the community.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
The Southern District of Georgia encompasses
43 counties, and includes the City of Savannah. The metropolitan areas
of the district report typical violent crime distributions, including homicides,
rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults. To address the district's firearms
violence problem, the U.S. Attorney's Office has committed to accepting
for prosecution a substantial number of federal firearms violations under
an initiative entitled "Project CEASEFIRE." The U.S. Attorney's Office
and ATF will work closely with state and local law enforcement to ensure
that appropriate cases are referred for federal prosecution, and have developed
guidance for local officials to ease presentation of cases for federal
prosecution. ATF will work with local law enforcement officials to encourage
comprehensive tracing of all firearms recovered in the district. Federal
law enforcement officials are also developing a firearms-focused outreach
program for presentation in public high schools.
DISTRICT OF GUAM
The District of Guam's most significant
violent crime problems are due primarily to convicted felons and illegal
drug users (especially users of methamphetamine) who possess firearms.
With limited federal investigative resources, federal authorities work
closely with local investigators to ensure that all drug cases involving
handguns are referred for federal prosecution. The U.S. Attorney's Office
also works closely with the Guam Attorney General's Office to ensure that
violent and career offenders are aggressively prosecuted. ATF is working
with the Guam Police Department to encourage comprehensive crime gun tracing
to identify firearms traffickers for investigation and prosecution.
DISTRICT OF HAWAII
Hawaii's firearms laws are among the most
stringent in the United States, and despite publicized individual instances
of firearms violence over the years, gun crime in Hawaii is relatively
rare. Although the state system is generally well-equipped to handle the
firearms crime that occurs in the district, federal officials have identified
ways in which federal authorities can assist local enforcement and improve
enforcement efforts, including helping local law enforcement agencies develop
the ability to trace all recovered crime guns. Federal authorities will
continue to work collaboratively with their state and local counterparts.
DISTRICT OF IDAHO
Federal authorities in the District of
Idaho have joined with state and local leaders to develop a gun violence
reduction program that combines aggressive prosecution and focused outreach.
It draws on the entire range of resources within the district, from schools
and law enforcement agencies to youth groups, business leaders and the
faith community, and targets problem areas such as the nexus between drugs
and gun violence, incidents of firearms in schools and the presence of
gangs and hate groups. Among the program's components are: (1) continued
prioritization of prosecutions involving drug traffickers and violent criminals
who illegally possess guns; (2) pilot programs to trace guns retrieved
from juvenile offenders; (3) enhanced gun violence reduction training for
state and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors; (4) increased
emphasis on crime gun tracing and the investigation of FFLs with significant
trafficking indicators associated with their businesses; and (5) expansion
of the district's drug and alcohol abuse outreach effort to educate the
public about gun violence, including support for the Governor's hotline
for reporting guns at schools.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
The Northern District of Illinois's "Project
Surefire" is an integrated firearms violence reduction strategy that maximizes
the resources of federal, state and local law enforcement. The district
contains the City of Chicago, which has a significant street gang and drug
problem. Project Surefire focuses on dismantling specific criminal organizations
identified through the effective use of shared intelligence, advanced crime
mapping, comprehensive crime gun tracing techniques and a statewide implementation
of the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN). It includes
enhanced prosecutions, a publicity campaign to deter would-be offenders
and work with community-based organizations to reduce violence. Resources
are also dedicated to the increased monitoring of the regulated firearms
industry to identify irresponsible firearm dealers and to eliminate straw
purchasers of firearms. Chicago participates in ATF's "Cops and Docs" initiative,
in which medical examiners and forensic officials provide ATF with bullets
recovered from gunshot victims for analysis using the ballistics network.
In conjunction with the Chicago Police Department's "Community Alternative
Policing Strategy" (CAPS) and the education community, juveniles and young
adults are being offered mentoring opportunities and options to deal with
life issues in ways that do not involve violence.
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
The Central District of Illinois includes
the state capital, Springfield, as well as Peoria, Champaign-Urbana and
many large rural areas. Gun violence in the district arises primarily from
drug-related gang activity and crimes committed by repeat offenders. Juveniles
and young adults are increasingly involved in gang activity. Illinois and
federal laws overlap significantly, enabling many gun cases to be prosecuted
in either jurisdiction. Federal authorities coordinate with state and local
law enforcement to screen and refer firearms cases to the most appropriate
jurisdiction for effective and aggressive prosecution. The district's gun
violence reduction strategy focuses on community outreach to strengthen
current strategies targeting violent and recidivist offenders, drug traffickers
and gangs. As a part of this strategy, federal authorities will re-train
and update state and local law enforcement on federal firearms laws and
will heighten efforts to follow up on all cases in which juveniles have
been found in possession of firearms. In addition, the district is developing
programs to debrief arrestees, strengthen the referral process and increase
law enforcement's focus on illegal transactions at gun shows. Recently,
a gun initiative has been formulated for the Peoria metropolitan area (the
district's largest) which will screen all firearms cases for an appropriate
resolution in either state of federal court.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
Most of the gun-related crime in the Southern
District of Illinois occurs in the Metro-East St. Louis area, the Carbondale
and Murphysboro areas of Jackson County, and in the cities of Mount Vernon,
Centralia, and Cairo. The overwhelming majority of gun-related violence
in these areas is associated with the distribution of crack cocaine in
predominately poor neighborhoods and housing developments, and gang presence
contributes significantly to the gun-related violence. The district's firearms
violence reduction strategy continues the district's coordinated efforts
under the Attorney General's 1994 "Anti-Violent Crime Initiative," and
targets the most violent firearms offenders for federal prosecution. Federal,
state and local law enforcement and prosecutors will coordinate closely
to identify offenders for federal prosecution. Automatic referrals of certain
types of offenders will be a priority in the high violence areas identified
in the district's strategy. In some counties, cross-designations of Assistant
State's Attorneys as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys will permit gun violators
to be prosecuted in either local or federal courts. Federal authorities
will also conduct federal firearms training for state and local law enforcement,
and are actively seeking information on persons wanted on warrants. The
district's plan also stresses the importance of data collection, analysis
and sharing, and the Illinois State Police Resource Support Center and
laboratory will be critical to that effort. Comprehensive crime gun tracing
is also being implemented to assist in identifying gun traffickers. The
district is also working with the Eastern District of Missouri in a collaborative
effort similar to Boston, Massachusetts' "Operation Ceasefire," focusing
on youth who are at risk of committing to the criminal lifestyle.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA
The Northern District of Indiana's "Operation
Bull's-Eye" is a comprehensive and coordinated approach to reducing firearms
violence that involves federal, state and local investigators and prosecutors.
The strategy includes coordinated decision-making among federal, state
and local law enforcement regarding the filing of firearms charges, and
expansion of existing firearms enforcement training and technical support
for state and local law enforcement. The district's plan also includes
the use of sophisticated computer technology, including crime mapping,
crime gun tracing, ballistics analysis and computer networking of criminal
intelligence information. Referral systems will ensure that state gun permits
are revoked whenever a permit holder is convicted of a felony, and that
NICS denials are referred to ATF for review and possible criminal charges.
Public education efforts about Operation Bull's-Eye have been initiated
throughout the district to deter gun violence. The U.S. Department of Justice's
Office of Justice Programs, in a joint effort with MTV™,
has provided area law enforcement agencies and school districts with interactive
anti-violence CD-ROMs for use in high school classes. The district's "Law
Enforcement Coordinating Committee" (LECC) program also conducted two school
violence crisis management training seminars, which attracted over 300
school and law enforcement officials. ATF has also established a task force-funded
through the "High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area" (HIDTA)-that focuses
on firearms trafficking in Lake and Porter counties. These counties are
in the northwest part of the district, closest to Chicago, where much of
the trafficking moves across the state line.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA
Within the Southern District of Indiana,
the city with the highest incidence of gun violence is Indianapolis. In
1998, as part of the Department of Justice-funded program, "Strategic Approaches
to Community Safety Initiative" (SACSI), the U.S. Attorney's Office helped
create the "Indianapolis Violence Reduction Partnership" (IVRP), a coordinated,
multi-agency task force, which evaluated the city's homicides as well as
a wide range of data regarding the city's gun violence. This analysis led
to the recognition that an overwhelming proportion of violent crime was
committed by individuals with extensive criminal histories and led to the
development of several gun violence reduction strategies for the district.
Three of IVRP's key strategies are: (1) regular "lever pulling meetings"
which communicate to probationers and parolees a message of intolerance
of violence as well as the choices and consequences of violence; (2) increased
coordination and communication among law enforcement agencies and the community;
and (3) the "Violence Impact Program Enhance Response" (VIPER), which is
designed to reduce the level of violence by removing chronic violent offenders
through increased arrest, prosecution, incarceration and enhanced supervision
while on probation or parole. Additionally, ATF traces all crime guns seized
in Indianapolis/Marion County.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA
Although gun violence is relatively uncommon
in the largely rural Northern District of Iowa, the number of firearms
homicides increased by 40 percent from 1994 to 1998 (from 24 to 34), with
many of the shootings arising in domestic relationships. Accordingly, two
attorneys from the Iowa Attorney General's office have been cross-deputized
to prosecute domestic violence cases federally, and a federal, state and
local drug task force works to develop firearms cases in the course of
drug investigations. These efforts are being enhanced by additional training
on federal and state firearms statutes and penalties at all levels of law
enforcement--federal, state and local prosecutors, police, investigators
and judges. The district also plans to develop PSAs to educate the public
on the seriousness of federal sanctions, to implement comprehensive crime
gun tracing and to work with schools on violence prevention. At the suggestion
of local officials whose input was sought at planning meetings, the district
produced a colorful laminated card detailing federal gun laws. This "Quick
Reference Guide to Federal Firearms Laws" is sized to fit in a patrol officer's
ticket book or vehicle sun visor for ready reference. See Appendix
F of the National Strategy. In coordination with the Southern District
of Iowa, 8,000 of these cards were distributed in December 1999 to every
law enforcement officer, probation agent, and local prosecutor in Iowa.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA
The firearm violence reduction plan in
the Southern District of Iowa consists of two primary components: (1) The
"Fast Track to Federal Prosecution" (Fast Track) program, which is designed
to encourage local law enforcement agencies immediately to identify and
refer for federal prosecution the types of offenses and offenders for whom
federal prosecution holds the greatest deterrent effect; and (2) the "Domestic
Violence Initiative," which is designed to identify and prosecute prohibited
domestic violence offenders who possess or seek to possess firearms. The
Fast Track program began with the mass mailing of over 200 posters to city
and county law enforcement agencies which summarized federal firearms laws
and described the Fast Track program. Further, in conjunction with the
Northern District of Iowa, thousands of laminated cards describing federal
firearms offenses were distributed to state and local law enforcement officers
in both districts to facilitate the Fast Track initiative. See Appendix
F of the National Strategy. To implement the Domestic Violence Initiative,
two attorneys from the Iowa Attorney General's Office have been designated
Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys and are assigned to prosecute firearm
violations associated with domestic abuse situations, in addition to conducting
extensive training programs for local law enforcement officers.
DISTRICT OF KANSAS
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Kansas, in
partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of
Missouri, ATF and local and state agencies, formed a "Kansas City Metro
Task Force" to prosecute firearms violations. Part of the focus is on violent
offenders who commit multiple "Hobbs Act" robberies in the greater metropolitan
area. Based on success in Wichita and Topeka, Kansas, the Task Force expects
to have a significant impact on reducing armed commercial robberies. It
will also concentrate on the prosecution of repeat firearms offenders.
In the southern and western ends of the state, the U.S. Attorney's Office
will work closely with ATF to target repeat violent offenders who are using
or carrying guns during criminal activity. In addition, ATF works with
state and local authorities in the district to trace all recovered crime
guns, and is in the process of establishing an intelligence group in the
district that will analyze the tracing information and produce investigative
leads.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY
Through its Law Enforcement Coordinating
Committee, consisting of ATF and other federal agents, state police, county
sheriffs and local police chiefs, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern
District of Kentucky has determined that domestic violence is its major
firearms violence problem. The district has therefore focused its firearms
violence reduction strategy on prosecution, training and prevention to
reduce domestic violence. The U.S. Attorney's Office, together with ATF,
will review every NICS referral as well as referrals from state, county
and local police, and will prosecute or notify the offender or judicial
officer, as appropriate. The district will also seek to raise public awareness
of the problem of domestic violence by publicizing prosecutions and by
participating in training with victim rights' groups about such issues
as reporting, investigating and prosecuting domestic violence offenses.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF will present law enforcement
training focusing particularly on federal offenses involving possession
of firearms by prohibited persons and relevant state offenses.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY
The majority of the district's problems
with gun violence are centered in Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky's
largest metropolitan area. Under "Project Backfire," a cooperative prosecution
program between the U.S. Attorney's Office, the County Attorney, the Commonwealth
Attorney, and ATF, the city's three prosecution offices will review all
gun-related arrests to ensure the defendants are prosecuted in the most
appropriate forum. The goal of the project is to eliminate the deficiencies
of prior state court practice which permitted most gun offenders to escape
jail time and to ensure that the most serious cases are prosecuted in federal
court. ATF traces all firearms used in crimes, and it will use this information
to identify and eliminate gun dealers who are funneling guns through straw
purchases to criminals. The program also draws upon the efforts of the
Mayor's "Task Force to End Gun Violence," a group which included the U.S.
Attorney, ATF, local police officers and prosecutors, gun dealers, school
officials, emergency room physicians, academics and religious leaders,
to find more comprehensive solutions to the problems of gun violence.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
In recent years, the murder rate in New
Orleans has dropped substantially (from 428 in 1994 to just under 160 in
1999) but gun violence remains a major problem, particularly in economically-distressed
neighborhoods where drug and gang crimes are prevalent. In New Orleans,
"Project Exile" has compensated for the inability of state prosecutors
to successfully detain and prosecute individuals who illegally possess
firearms. To date, approximately 90 percent of all Project Exile defendants
are detained and all but one have been convicted. The district is also
focused on combating gun and other crime in public housing through the
multiple-agency "Safe Home Task Force." The district also places a strong
emphasis on developing intelligence on gun trafficking patterns through
crime gun tracing.
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
From 1992 to 1996, Baton Rouge experienced
a dramatic increase in the number of youth involved in violent crimes.
During this period, the number of juveniles under 16 years of age arrested
annually increased by 61 percent. In 1996, juveniles were responsible for
14 homicides, as well as numerous armed robberies, aggravated assaults,
and other weapons violations. In response, federal, state and local law
enforcement, city officials, community organizations and others joined
together to form the "Baton Rouge Partnership for the Prevention of Juvenile
Gun Violence." The partnership targeted repeat offender youth up to age
21 from two high-crime zip code areas of Baton Rouge. The partnership designed
a comprehensive strategy with four specific goals. The first goal was to
implement a multi-agency law enforcement strategy to reduce gun-related
and other violent crimes by juveniles and older youth through: intensive
probation and law enforcement focus on the small group of violent and chronic
young offenders; reducing illegal access to guns by investigating and prosecuting
gun traffickers and straw purchasers; and expediting the judicial response
to gun-related offenses, including expedited federal prosecution where
possible. The second goal was implementation of an intensive intervention
program to reduce the risk factors for the highest risk youth, their families
and the community. The third goal involved implementation of a long-term
prevention program that identifies youth who may be at risk for violence,
and strengthens resources to serve those young people. And the fourth goal
is to aggressively investigate and prosecute gun-related offenses committed
by adults, through "Project Exile/Baton Rouge," a collaborative effort
by the police department, sheriff's office, ATF and U.S. Attorney's Office
to combine swift and sure federal prosecution of firearms offenses with
a public education campaign that warns criminals of the penalties if they
are caught with an illegal gun. "Project Exile/Baton Rouge began on January
21, 1999, and was responsible for the indictment of 102 adult offenders
during its first 12 months. Examples of the types of charges brought against
these individuals included Brady Act violations, felons-in-possession of
firearms, possession of firearms with obliterated serial numbers and possession
of sawed-off shotguns. Sentences have averaged in excess of five years.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
Forty-two of Louisiana's 64 parishes make
up the Western District of Louisiana, and the district is home to over
two million people. The district has several programs to address gun crime.
The U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF have established a referral program
to deal with gun crimes, including cases developed using "Project Triggerlock,"
crime gun tracing and referrals from NICS. The district is currently focusing
on prohibited persons in possession of firearms. Other programs include
a gun recovery and enforcement initiative training program; assistance
to law enforcement agencies to collect and use existing tracing data for
guns that come into their custody; coordination with school resource officers
to trace all guns taken off school campuses; use of "On-line LEAD" trace
information to its full extent; ATF review of records of out-of-business
firearms dealers and cross-check with the National Tracing Center database;
and aggressive enforcement of federal firearms laws.
DISTRICT OF MAINE
The District of Maine is predominately
rural, with three medium-sized metropolitan areas. Its violent crime problem
is primarily related to domestic violence, drug-related organizations,
juvenile offenders and some gang activity. In addition, a significant number
of felons unlawfully possess firearms in the state. The district will continue
to rely principally on the task force approach to combat gun violence and
other violent crime. Three violent crime task forces are located in the
areas identified as having the most serious violent crime and firearms
problems. The task forces include representatives from state and local
police and sheriffs departments, ATF, U.S. Marshal's Service, the U.S.
Attorney's Office and the District Attorney's Office. In addition, the
district is undertaking various training and prevention initiatives; seeking
new and innovative avenues for funding task force operations and creating
adequate information databases; and aggressively pursuing the use of crime
gun tracing and mapping.
DISTRICT OF MARYLAND
Despite an overall decrease in violent
crime in Baltimore, Maryland, the number of murders continues to exceed
300 annually. A recent analysis of homicides in Baltimore revealed drug
trafficking as a key ingredient in the homicides and identified members
of 325 "drug groups" as key actors in the homicides. Project "DISARM" is
a federal, state and local comprehensive plan to reduce gun-related violence
by seeking federal prosecution for gun-carrying felons, based on a collaborative
case referral and screening process. The number of federal indictments
under these plans increased by 72 percent from 1998 to 1999. Beginning
in January 2000, the selective criteria for firearms offenses in Baltimore
was reduced with the result that a 100 percent increase in federal indictments
is anticipated in 2000, with over 290 indictments expected. DISARM also
includes U.S. Attorney's Office participation in Baltimore Police in-service
training and a multi-media public outreach program warning of the consequences
of federal prosecution, including business cards, billboards and radio
spots. DISARM also accepts referrals in support of "Operation Safe Neighborhoods,"
which draws heavily on the Boston "Operation Ceasefire" model as a complement
to these other federal prosecution initiatives. Baltimore participates
in ATF's YCGII and uses crime gun tracing and other information to combat
illegal trafficking in firearms.
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
In Boston, Massachusetts, recent reductions
in the violent crime rate and, particularly, the homicide rate, have exceeded
the impressive national declines. Boston's successful attack on gun violence
was driven by careful research and analysis. The research determined that
a relatively small number of repeat violent offenders, largely youthful,
were responsible for a disproportionately large share of the gun violence
in the city. By 1995, Boston Police had moved to a neighborhood policing
strategy and had formed the "Youth Violence Strike Force," which permitted
the police to devote significant resources to violence-troubled areas.
ATF had formed a partnership with the Boston Police Strike Force, and the
U.S. Attorney's Office was working with the Suffolk County District Attorney's
Office to ensure that firearms offenses were prosecuted in the most deterrent-effective
manner possible. The state probation office had already joined with the
police department to implement "Operation Night Light." The religious community
was actively involved in combating youth violence. And city-employed street
workers were in place, on the streets, to help direct services to at-risk
youths. In 1996, "Operation Ceasefire," a city-wide strategy to deter firearm
violence among youthful offenders, was established. The goal of Ceasefire
was to communicate warnings to gangs that, if violence occurred, there
would be swift, predictable responses with weighty consequences, including
federal prosecution with lengthy sentences. This strategy of targeted deterrence
was balanced by the offer of meaningful and realistic alternatives. For
example, the "Boston Jobs Project"-a federal, state and local joint effort,
funded in part by the Departments of Justice and Labor-provides at-risk
young people with job training, placement, education and counseling services.
And Boston police officers also now work with social workers located in
police stations. Growing out of these existing, successful initiatives,
the district plans to pursue the following programs: (1) felon-in-possession
prosecutions of repeat violent offenders; (2) gun dealing/trafficking prosecutions;
(3) targeted gang/drug prosecutions; and (4) an anti-violence program in
Western Massachusetts.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
In 1999, Michigan homicides began to increase,
even though other categories of crime continued to decline. In response,
the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan formed
a working group to address gun violence. This group includes ATF, DEA,
FBI, the U.S. Marshal's Service, the Detroit Police Department, the Michigan
State Police, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, the Wayne County Department
of Community Justice and the Southeast Michigan HIDTA. The working group
analyzed Detroit's gun-related homicide problem and developed a strategy
that includes aggressive enforcement against perpetrators, enhanced use
of technology for crime analysis and investigation, crime prevention and
intervention. In addition, the working group is engaged in an ongoing process
to identify and deploy the resources necessary to implement both short-
and long-term strategies. These strategies include: (1) a "Homicide Task
Force" that targets individuals and groups who are responsible for drug-related
homicides in the City of Detroit; (2) the "Southeast Michigan Forensic
Enhancement Initiative" to improve and expedite the level of forensic services
that are available to investigators and prosecutors; (3) "Operation Countdown,"
a collaborative effort between the Detroit Police Department, the Wayne
County Prosecutor's Office and ATF, to provide for the referral of appropriate
cases for federal prosecution; (4) a program to increase the apprehension
of fugitives wanted in the City of Detroit; (5) a data collection initiative
to make technology an integral part of investigative techniques; (6) a
strong prevention, intervention and treatment component focused especially
on youth; (7) activities to raise public awareness about, and mobilize
the community to address, gun violence, including a billboard campaign
and a gun violence youth education program; and (8) use of the "Crime Stoppers"
program, which provides an anonymous dial-in tip line enabling citizens
to report criminal activity and receive cash awards. In the long- term,
the working group has proposed supplementing other strategies with the
establishment of a "Regional Crime Gun Center." This centrally located,
multi-agency staffed firearms clearinghouse would provide law enforcement
with all available information about recovered firearms, including mapping
information and firearm recovery trends.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
The Western District of Michigan encompasses
the state capital, Lansing, and other mid-sized cities such as Grand Rapids
and Kalamazoo, as well as large suburban and rural areas. The district's
gun violence reduction plan increases the emphasis on the referral of gun
cases for federal prosecution. The U.S. Attorney's Office will prioritize
various types of guns cases, including serious violations by federal firearms
licensees and armed bank robberies (which increased by 80 percent during
the first nine months of 1999). In addition, ATF will investigate federal
firearms licensees who are suspected of selling handguns to straw purchasers,
and federal authorities will conduct educational outreach to state, local
and tribal law enforcement to advise them that federal prosecutors will
investigate and prosecute appropriate gun cases. To implement this plan,
the U.S. Attorney has assigned one Assistant U.S. Attorney to serve as
a Firearms Violence Reduction Specialist. The Michigan Attorney General,
the Mayor of Grand Rapids, the Kent County Prosecutor and numerous local
law enforcement agencies have agreed to join the U.S. Attorney's Office
to enter into a "Project Exile"-type initiative in the district's most
populous county. The initiative will include the appointment of Special
Assistant U.S. Attorneys from both the Michigan Attorney General's office
and the local prosecutor's office to assist in the prosecution process.
ATF has appointed two special agents to handle local criminal referrals
and the FBI has committed resources from its "Fugitive Task Force" to supplement
the effort. The initiative will have several components including: prosecution,
advertising, education, the provision of free firearm trigger locks and
possibly a firearms "buy back" plan that could include food or toy coupons
in exchange for handguns.
DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA
Since 1995, the number of homicides in
Minneapolis, the state's largest city, has decreased by nearly 75 percent.
However, gangs continue to be a problem, as are juvenile offenders and
chronic violent offenders. Straw purchases are also a concern, as ATF crime
gun tracing data has shown that many of the firearms that end up in the
hands of prohibited persons were obtained through straw purchases. Finally,
gun violence is of particular concern in Indian Country. To deal with these
issues, ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office have joined forces with state
and local law enforcement to form the "Minnesota Criminal Gang Strike Force,"
which in the last three years has investigated and prosecuted a number
of violent gangs throughout the district under a targeted deterrence, or
"pulling levers" initiative. In addition, ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office
work closely with the Weapons Unit of the Minneapolis Police Department
to investigate and refer for prosecution all cases involving the use of
firearms. Collaboration between federal and local prosecutors is critical.
State law requires a five-year minimum prison sentence for any felon convicted
of using or possessing a gun in the commission of a violent crime. This
and other state statutes give prosecutors numerous options to charge illegal
gun possession and use in Minnesota. The U.S. Attorney's Office has taken
advantage of these tough state laws to develop a close working relationship
with local prosecutors, known as "Project SAFETY ON." Under Project SAFETY
ON, federal and local prosecutors have agreed, through a formal Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU), to work together to ensure that all criminals found
in possession of a gun face either state or federal charges, as appropriate.
Thus, while the state's five-year mandatory minimum law adequately addresses
many offenders, the U.S. Attorney's Office encourages local authorities
to refer for federal prosecution those cases where enhanced federal penalties
are called for, such as cases involving repeat violent offenders, straw
purchasers, gun traffickers and the like. Project SAFETY ON will be supported
by a media campaign, informing potential violators of the seriousness of
federal and state firearms laws.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI
Under "Operation Piecekeeper," the U.S.
Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Mississippi has established
a gun violence reduction task force with ATF, state and local law enforcement
agencies, and school security officers. The task force's initial objectives
are to investigate and prosecute cases involving the use of a firearm during
the commission of a violent or drug trafficking crime, possession of firearms
by prohibited persons, straw purchasing and gun trafficking. The task force
will also train state and local law enforcement agencies about federal
firearms laws, gun tracing and the use of ballistics information. The task
force's efforts are focused initially on the district's three largest cities,
Greenville, Tupelo and Columbus. Its efforts will be expanded to other
cities and counties in the future. The task force's efforts are intended
to complement and supplement other federal and local initiatives, such
as "Project Triggerlock," the "Armed Violent Criminal Apprehension Program,"
the "Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force" (OCDETF) and Weed and
Seed.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI
In July 1999, the Southern District of
Mississippi launched "Operation Jackson Ceasefire," which centers on a
full-time, five-agency co-located ATF-led Jackson Gun Unit. The central
mission of the unit is to gather evidence throughout the district's principal
urban center of Jackson, Mississippi, to support a substantial increase
in federal prosecutions of violent felons in possession of handguns within
Jackson. The operation also emphasizes proactive investigations of illegal
gun trafficking within Jackson, intensive training of all Jackson police
officers in gun statutes and the direct delivery of a message of deterrence
to previously-convicted persons through 25 commercial billboards (featuring
the message "You + Illegal Gun = Federal Prison") and through direct communications
to state probationers. In addition, a district-wide initiative, called
"Reducing Violence Through Gun Enforcement," will feature an intensive
Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee training of local law enforcement
officers in gun-related issues and investigatory techniques.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
The Eastern District of Missouri has focused
its gun violence reduction efforts on the City of St. Louis, which has
one of the highest per capita homicide rates in the country. Federal firearms
laws are vigorously enforced in the district, and the U.S. Attorney's Office
and ATF actively review state cases for federal prosecution due to relatively
weak state laws and sentencing practices. The district's firearms violence
reduction plan, "Operation Ceasefire," is modeled on both Boston, Massachusetts'
successful program of the same name and Richmond, Virginia's "Project Exile,"
and includes coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement
officials, public school administrators, clergy, gang outreach workers,
probation and parole officers, and a number of social service providers.
The plan includes: (1) application of intensive law enforcement resources
to high-crime "hot-spots" through directed police patrols; (2) a consent
to search initiative; (3) a "NightWatch" program whereby police-probation
teams do nightly curfew checks on high-risk juvenile offenders; (4) identification
of the 100 most violent offenders in the region for enhanced investigation
and prosecution efforts; (5) comprehensive crime gun tracing; (6) targeted
deterrence and focused gang outreach; (7) clergy outreach to high-risk
youth; and (8) increased coordination between schools, clergy, courts,
police and others addressing the problem of youth violence in the community.
The district also has two active Weed and Seed programs, each with multiple
sites, in both St. Louis and Southeast Missouri, and actively prosecutes
gun cases from those sites.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
The vast majority of gun-related violent
crimes in the Western District of Missouri occurs in Kansas City. Almost
half of the offenders are under 24 years of age. Moreover, over 40 percent
of the guns that find their way to Kansas City originate in another state.
The district's five-part plan, which involves cooperation among federal,
state and local law enforcement and local government and community agencies,
addresses illegal use, possession and sale of firearms. The plan includes:
(1) a federa1, state and local law enforcement task force that investigates
and prosecutes firearm-related illegal conduct, including felons-in-possession
and firearms used in the commission of a crime; (2) ATF tracing of all
handguns found at crime scenes or related to criminal conduct; (3) investigating
and prosecuting illegal sales and transfers of firearms; (4) informing
felons about the prohibitions against their possession of firearms; and
(5) encouraging and monitoring the apprehension of fugitives by the district's
fugitive task force. Project Felon, the prosecution program, began on November
1, 1999. The Governor has recently pledged the assistance of the Missouri
Highway Patrol to add troopers to the investigative effort. The Jackson
County Prosecutor's Office has assigned a prosecutor who has been sworn
in as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. As of March 31, 2000, 51 defendants
had been indicted as felons-in-possession. Twenty-four defendants pleaded
guilty and one defendant was convicted after trial.
DISTRICT OF MONTANA
Montana is one of our largest but least
populated states, with most of the population centered around six communities.
Although the state experiences a relatively low incidence of firearms violence,
72 percent of homicides and 50 percent of robberies involve firearms. In
addition, firearms are often present in furtherance of drug trafficking
offenses. The District of Montana emphasizes cooperative efforts among
federal, state and local prosecutors and law enforcement to ensure the
appropriate and timely prosecution of offenders who violate gun laws or
engage in firearms-related violence. Training efforts to apprise state
and local law enforcement about federal firearms statutes and prosecution
options are part of the district's plan, as are improved referral mechanisms
to assure that appropriate cases reach the federal system. Montana state
law presents special problems for prosecuting some federal firearms possession
offenses. Although Montana law provides that certain types of offenders
remain under state supervision for life, thereby precluding the restoration
of civil rights, the law also automatically restores the right to possess
a firearm upon termination of state supervision for a state offense. This
severely undermines the prosecution of federal felon-in-possession offenses.
DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA
The District of Nebraska's gun violence
reduction program, "Project Impact," is a data-driven effort designed to
reduce, interdict and prevent youth gun violence in Omaha. To develop and
implement the plan, an unprecedented group--including federal, state and
local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, local community service
providers, members of the faith community and grass roots community
organizers--collaborated
with the University of Nebraska at Omaha, examined the issues that surround
youth gun violence in Omaha and created an action-oriented plan to address
the problem. A steering committee oversees the work of seven different
Project Impact teams. The Working Team consists of community members and
command-level representatives from law enforcement and criminal justice
partners responsible for implementing the strategies and plans developed
by the Community and Incident Review Teams. The Community Team draws from
the expertise of local service providers and grass root organizers, and
identifies community resources that can be used to reduce youth gun violence.
The Incident Review Team includes law enforcement and criminal justice
officials assigned to street-level responsibilities, who review violent
incidents and craft strategies to interdict and prevent further violence.
Three strategies developed by this team are: (1) "Operation Night Light,"
under which teams of police and probation/parole officers contact probationers
and parolees during the evening or "off" hours to ensure their compliance
with court orders; (2) "offender meetings" at which law enforcement, criminal
justice and community representatives tell offenders that gun violence
will be met with a strong and coordinated response, and offer resources
for those individuals who want to turn away from violence; (3) "Operation
Ceasefire," a coordinated response by all of the law enforcement agencies
and criminal justice partners committed to Project Impact. The Juvenile
Accountability Team consists of officials from juvenile justice agencies
who work to advance inter-agency information sharing while promoting increased
accountability for juveniles in the criminal justice system. The Omaha
Public School/Probation-Parole Team/Task Force has three initial goals:
(1) confirm that a youth is registered in school; (2) verify attendance;
and (3) ensure the school notifies the probation/parole officer when discipline
occurs at school. The Geographic Information System (GIS) Team is developing
a geographical information system specific to Project Impact that allows
data to be mapped and relationships between objects to be displayed and
analyzed. Finally, the South Omaha Impact Team, a subset of the Community
Team, represents a new effort with residents in South Omaha working together
to develop focused interventions that are specific to the types of violent
incidents occurring in South Omaha.
DISTRICT OF NEVADA
The District of Nevada's gun violence problem
is largely attributable to the easy availability of guns to criminals.
Due to the widespread ownership of and active market for guns in the state,
criminals obtain firearms through straw purchases, the use of false identification
and burglaries of residences and commercial gun dealerships. Las Vegas
leads the nation in fugitive arrests, and experiences a steady influx of
convicted felons from other states who are predisposed to carry firearms.
To combat these problems, the district established an anti-gun violence
program called "Project EFFECT." At the center of the program is aggressive
prosecution of appropriate felon-in-possession cases and other federal
cases such as those brought under the Brady Act and the Violence Against
Women Act. All local firearms arrests throughout the state are submitted
by police agencies to ATF to be screened for potential federal prosecution.
As part of the district's gun violence reduction plan, the U.S. Attorney's
Office is also offering a series of multi-media presentations to educate
the local police regarding the advantages of federal prosecution. Assistant
U.S. Attorneys will attend round-the-clock roll calls in each police area
command in an education effort that will ultimately reach every Southern
Nevada uniformed police officer in person. The district's gun violence
reduction strategy also emphasizes prevention, including a program based
on educating the public, and felons and domestic violence offenders in
particular, about the firearms laws. The district has developed and will
be expanding a presentation for state prison inmates facing imminent release,
which has received positive feedback from state prison officials for its
effectiveness. In addition, prosecutors and agents are working with the
Nevada Division of Parole and Probation and other agencies to design a
prisoner reentry program. The program will target individuals recently
released from state prison into Las Vegas Weed and Seed sites and will
provide community based services and monitoring to enhance the opportunities
for successful transition into the community. Finally, because Nevada leads
the nation in suicides per capita, the district hopes to draw upon the
work of the recently established center for the study of suicide prevention
at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and to develop strategies that
might assist in preventing suicide.
DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
Domestic violence incidents, the use of
firearms during drug crimes--particularly in the district's largest cities,
Manchester and Nashua--and possession and use of firearms by habitual offenders
in the southern counties, are the gun violence problems of primary concern
within the District of New Hampshire. The district is also concerned with
the illegal purchase of firearms by non-residents in border areas of the
state and the trafficking of these firearms to gangs in neighboring cities,
such as Boston, Massachusetts. The district's strategy will draw on existing
resources, including networks established by the FBI and ATF with state
and local law enforcement. Through these networks, each agency receives
investigation and prosecution referrals. "Operation Streetsweeper" and
"Operation Triggerlock" are initiatives that target violent crime and illegal
gun use, respectively. Operation Triggerlock was recently expanded to include
cases involving attempted purchases of firearms by prohibited individuals
and to focus on domestic violence cases in the southern part of the district.
The goal of the strategy is to integrate these various programs, to coordinate
multi-agency cooperation, and to focus all available investigative and
prosecutorial resources on firearms violence.
DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY
New Jersey's six major urban centers contained
less than 12 percent of the state's population but accounted for more than
47 percent of the state's violent crime between 1988 and 1997. In 1997,
firearms were used in more than half of the state's murders, 30 percent
of robberies and 14 percent of aggravated assaults. In addition, street
gangs derive income from illegal trafficking in guns and drugs. According
to ATF, those illegally possessing or using firearms are largely males
under 30 years of age, and the guns are typically trafficked into New Jersey
via Route 95, from states with comparatively less strict gun control laws.
Obliterated serial numbers are an increasing problem. New Jersey is fortunate
to have strong state laws to complement federal laws in combating firearms
violence. The cooperative approach to firearms violence in New Jersey includes
crime gun tracing, investigation based on database information and local
incident reports, and establishing working relationships among local police
departments, county prosecutor's offices, probation and parole officers,
community leaders and federal agencies to support vigorous enforcement
of the firearms laws. Through a coordinated effort, all firearm offenses
are prosecuted by the appropriate prosecuting authority. Under Camden's
"Ceasefire" program, for example, felons found with guns are typically
prosecuted in the forum where the offender faces the greatest penalty.
The district is also emphasizing enforcement in public housing projects,
enhanced law enforcement training programs, public outreach and education
and monitoring of trafficking indicators for federal firearms dealers in
the state.
DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
New Mexico has a serious gun violence problem
that arises from street gangs, drug trafficking, the ready availability
of firearms, illegal firearms trafficking and violent juvenile offenders.
New Mexico firearms laws are extremely limited, so federal firearms enforcement
is critical. To date, the District of New Mexico has focused its gun violence
reduction strategy on deterring illegal gun possession and reducing sources
of illegal guns. The district plans to continue aggressive prosecution
of Brady Act "false form" cases, and will expand its approach by working
with local law enforcement agencies to ensure that appropriate felon-in-possession
cases, and armed violent and narcotics trafficking cases, are referred
to federal court. The district will work with local agencies to prosecute
those who possess firearms and to enhance supervision of probationers and
parolees. The district also plans to monitor federal firearms licensees
more closely, use crime gun tracing to identify straw purchasers and interview
all juveniles convicted of armed delinquency to determine the sources of
their guns. The district will implement a new educational and community
outreach program to educate prospective offenders about the penalties for
federal firearms violations, and will establish a hotline for students
and other citizens to report the illegal possession of guns.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
Much of the gun violence in the Eastern
District of New York is attributable to street gangs, organized crime and
other groups involved in criminal conduct such as drug dealing, extortion,
and armed robbery. Moreover, many of the weapons used by these groups are
illegally purchased or stolen. The principal areas in which these criminal
groups are active include the Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, and East New
York sections of Brooklyn, the Flushing and Corona sections of Queens,
and the Park Hill section of Staten Island. The district's gun violence
reduction strategy seeks to maximize the abilities of federal law enforcement
and prosecuting agencies to work in close coordination with state and local
law enforcement efforts. The hallmark of the district's strategy is the
aggressive prosecution of violent organized crime groups and gangs, coupled
with targeting and convicting firearms traffickers, "straw purchasers,"
armed career criminals and persons prohibited from possessing firearms
and ammunition. As part of this effort, the "Parole Violations Partnership
Program," involving the New York Police Department and ATF, helps identify
parolees with at least three previous felony convictions who continue to
possess firearms. Existing strategies will be augmented by new community
outreach programs by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Kings County District
Attorney's Office and the New York City Police Department (NYPD). As part
of the "Community ALERT" program, gang leaders and members in precincts
that are experiencing an increase in violent crime will be subjected to
the "pulling levers" strategy. ATF's recently created "Regional Gun Crime
Center" in New York City will enhance the district's efforts to reduce
gun violence.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
The Northern District of New York's firearms
violence reduction plan focuses on establishing "Regional Gun Violence
Task Forces," supported by joint state and federal prosecution teams, in
the district's two largest metropolitan areas, Syracuse and the greater
Albany area. The initiative is called "PROJECT S.A.F.E.," for "Strategically
Applied Firearms Enforcement." As ATF and other federal officers work with
state and local authorities to investigate firearms trafficking and violent
crime, teams of prosecutors will provide assistance on state and federal
legal issues and determine whether the ends of justice are best served
by prosecuting the case under New York or federal law. To allow for a flexible
and efficient prosecution effort, each team consists of an experienced
local Assistant District Attorney and an experienced Assistant U.S. Attorney,
each of whom is cross-designated to prosecute cases in either state or
federal court. ATF has committed to trace every crime weapon recovered
by local law enforcement agencies to accurately determine the primary sources
of illegal weapons in the district. The district will also focus efforts
on training law enforcement, concentrating on methods through which each
police agency may enhance its own ability to respond to crimes involving
illegal firearms. A "Community Education Steering Committee" will also
be formed in each area where a task force exists. Its goal will be to convey
anti-gun violence, anti-gang, and gun safety messages to the community
at large, and especially to youth.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
The district's most successful strategy
to reduce firearms violence has relied upon the use of racketeering laws
to take out whole groups of demonstrably violent offenders. The incarceration
of these gang members has led to dramatically decreased murder and shooting
rates in the neighborhoods where the groups operated. The district has
supplemented this approach, in conjunction with the District Attorney's
Office, with targeted use of felon-in-possession laws, focusing on both
offenders with violent pasts as well as places with high incidents of shootings.
In addition, together with researchers at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government,
the district is implementing the next stage of its firearms violence strategy
in the Bronx, building upon previous success in that county. The team is
identifying "hot" (actively violent) groups and "hot" areas (i.e. areas
with high numbers of shootings), using both NYPD and ATF databases, as
well as street information from investigators and the U.S. Attorney's Office's
mapping system. All crime guns seized by the NYPD are traced through ATF's
National Tracing Center. The district has begun a new program tracing all
crime guns seized federally. By analyzing the source of crime guns (by
using both trace and informant information), authorities are targeting
sources of supply, including complicit licensed dealers. As in the Eastern
District, ATF is involved with the NYPD in a "Parole Violations Partnership
Program," to identify career criminals who continue to possess firearms.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
The Western District of New York began
its "Project Exile" initiative on September 29, 1998 in Rochester. As part
of Rochester's Project Exile, two Monroe County Assistant District Attorneys
are assigned to the U.S. Attorney's Office to assist with prosecuting firearms
cases. One Assistant U.S. Attorney and one part-time paralegal are devoted
to the program. A co-located, multi-agency federal and state "Firearms
Task Force" is working full-time on investigating firearms cases, and Project
Exile is developing into a true community-wide effort. Participating law
enforcement agencies have joined with "Partners Against Violence Everywhere"
(PAVE), a community anti-violence organization, and with the City of Rochester
"Juvenile Justice Initiative," which includes prevention and early intervention
programs such as "Nightwatch," "Ceasefire" and "Pathway to Peace." The
project has a strong Community Board with wide community representation.
Four city buses, posters, billboards, plastic supermarket bags and a TV
media campaign are used to spread the Project Exile message throughout
the community. Recently, HUD became a partner in the program. It appears
that the Rochester Project Exile Program and Juvenile Justice Initiative
are having a significant impact on violent crime in the Rochester community,
as homicides have decreased by 35 percent, and exchanges of gunfire between
armed criminals and the police have ceased. During the first year of the
district's project, over 900 local and state law enforcement officers received
training in crime gun tracing, search and seizure law, and the federal
and state firearms statutes. With strong community support, the Project
Exile initiative was expanded in the summer of 1999 to include Buffalo
and Niagara Falls. The initiative in Buffalo will have one Assistant U.S.
Attorney, one Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and one crime analyst devoted
full-time to the program and will include a focus on crime mapping, a Project
Exile media awareness campaign and additional law enforcement training.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
The Eastern District of North Carolina
comprises 44 counties and has 2.8 million residents. The district encompasses
the state's ten most populous cities--including Raleigh, Wilmington, Fayetteville,
Rocky Mount and Greenville--and also covers an extensive rural territory.
Together with ATF's Raleigh, Fayetteville and Wilmington Field Offices,
and with the assistance of state and local law enforcement and state government
researchers--e.g., the Center for Prevention of School Violence,
North Carolina Child Fatality Prevention Team, North Carolina Governor's
Crime Commission, and North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics-the
U.S. Attorney's Office has identified significant local trends in homicide,
aggravated assault, robbery, rape, school violence, juvenile homicides
and assault against law enforcement officers, all committed with firearms.
A disproportionate number of violent crimes occur in Wilmington, where
armed robbery was identified as the most prevalent firearms violence problem.
A broad coalition of federal, state and local government and law enforcement
agencies including--in addition to the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF--DEA,
FBI, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina
State Divisions of Probation and Parole, police departments, the sheriff's
and prosecutor's offices, HUD, and the University of North Carolina at
Wilmington, have developed a strategy to reduce gun violence in Wilmington.
The "Wilmington Initiative" is based on a model project in High Point,
North Carolina which was modeled after Boston's "Operation Ceasefire."
Multi-agency task forces already successfully operating in Fayetteville
and Greenville will continue. Other components of the district-wide initiative
include: (1) "Operation Denial," under which all NICS/Brady Act denials
are investigated by ATF for possible referral for federal prosecution;
(2) Project "GOOSE," the "Guns Out Of School Enforcement" project, in which
students are educated about firearms injuries and violence, ATF is notified
of all discoveries of guns on school property, the weapons recovered by
local authorities are traced, and cases are referred to state and federal
prosecutors; (3) the "Gun Tracing Enhancement Program," to improve the
submission and quality of gun tracing data by local law enforcement; (4)
the "Gun Show and Flea Markets Enforcement Enhancement Program," under
which complaints by citizens and licensed gun dealers regarding the activities
of illegal gun sellers are investigated; and (5) the use of "On-Line Lead,"
ATF's real-time gun-tracing data system.
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
The gun violence reduction strategy of
the Middle District of North Carolina relies upon partnerships among numerous
federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, community groups and
organizations, public and private entities, and others. The initiatives
underlying the strategy include Weed and Seed, SACSI, and the "High Point
Violent Crime Reduction Strategy," among others. The district analyzed
a wide array of data from a variety of sources to understand its gun violence
problem, which is mainly attributable to small neighborhood groups who
use violence to promote criminal activity, such as narcotics violations,
and which involve chronic offenders, felons-in-possession and juvenile
offenders. The strategy derived from this data-driven approach has six
components designed to: (1) identify the particular crime problem and those
offenders causing the problem; (2) aggressively investigate and prosecute
the most chronic offenders in federal and state court; (3) notify the remaining
offenders of the community's future intolerance of violent acts and offer
opportunities for them to leave their violent lifestyle; (4) coordinate
the delivery of needed community resources; (5) develop and implement a
comprehensive multi-agency response to further acts of violence; and (6)
evaluate the strategy to see if it is making a difference, and adjust if
necessary. As an example of the success of this strategy, since its implementation
in late 1998, High Point has experienced an 86 percent reduction in gun
homicides and a 49 percent reduction in all firearm offenses.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
The Western District of North Carolina
encompasses Charlotte, the state's most populous city, as well as large
rural areas and the Cherokee Indian Reservation. In collaboration with
state and local law enforcement, as well as community leaders, federal
authorities in the district have developed a strategy to address youth
gun violence and the use of guns in violent crimes and homicides. That
strategy is focused on three "Ps": Prosecution, Police
Training, and Prevention. The district relies on the existing violent
crime task force to identify and refer for prosecution repeat violent offenders
and individuals involved in gang activity. The strategy also calls for
continuing existing programs, including comprehensive crime gun tracing,
debriefing of arrestees, prevention programs, inspection of all
new in-state applicants for federal firearms licenses, an increased law
enforcement focus on gun shows and flea markets, and expanded use of ballistics
information. Through a collaborative effort among federal, state and local
law enforcement and community leaders, the district also is implementing
the following strategies: 1) the "'High Powered' Firearm Reduction Initiative"
to target criminal acts involving firearms in identified crime hot spot
areas in Charlotte, under which identified individuals will be prosecuted
and information about the results of the prosecutions will be disseminated
within the community; 2) expanded federal investigative presence throughout
the district to address gun violence; 3) law enforcement officer training
in federal firearms laws, NICS and YCGII training and targeting; and 4)
prevention and community education by law enforcement agencies, instructional
classes within the community, and a "Kid with a gun, call 911" campaign.
DISTRICT OF NORTH DAKOTA
Statistics suggest that North Dakota has
a smaller incidence of gun violence than most states. Law enforcement officials
believe that it is important for the citizens not to become complacent,
however, and to do all they can to further reduce the gun violence in the
state. Thus, although there has never been a documented instance of a shooting
within a school in the state, the district's gun violence reduction plan
is initially emphasizing school safety and prevention of any violence that
may occur in the schools of North Dakota. In August 1999, in a collaborative
effort between the North Dakota Attorney General, the Superintendent of
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, state and local law enforcement
and the U.S. Attorney's Office, the first "North Dakota Safe Schools Summit,"
was held, which is expected to be an annual event. The North Dakota Attorney
General and the U.S. Attorney's Office also participated in a "Safe Futures
Through Law-Related Education" Seminar presented by the North Dakota State
Bar. The Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee for North Dakota is working
with ATF to develop a conference devoted primarily to firearms violence.
ATF is addressing firearms crimes with an emphasis on those that involve
prohibited persons, narcotics, stolen firearms, FFL violations and straw
purchasers.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
In the Northern District of Ohio, weapons
possession offenses make up the largest category of gun crimes. In Cleveland,
assaults and robberies are a significant gun crime problem. A statistical
analysis indicates that the central cities are the greatest source of gun
crimes; no major gun crime problems are identified in the outlying suburbs.
Accordingly, the district is concentrating its gun violence resources and
efforts on the five most populous cities and counties. Cleveland participates
in ATF's YCGII to detect and help interdict illegal gun trafficking. To
complement the existing "Triggerlock Task Force," the U.S. Attorney's Office
has appointed an anti-violent crime coordinator to facilitate case screening,
so that cases are subjected to federal prosecution or state prosecution
as appropriate. This joint law enforcement program is operating in Cleveland
and Youngstown under the name "Operation Safe Neighborhoods." The district
is also emphasizing enforcement of federal domestic violence laws, and
will be expanding its community outreach efforts. Recently all local prosecutors
and state judicial officers have been notified by the U.S. Attorney of
the new disability provisions of the firearms laws relating to domestic
violence and restraining orders. ATF has focused law enforcement resources
on illegal firearms trafficking at the numerous gun shows held in the Cleveland
area. Gun shows continue to be identified as a major source of undocumented
gun sales in the district.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
Violent criminal activity involving firearms
in the Southern District of Ohio occurs primarily in the metropolitan areas
of Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. Illegal trafficking of firearms is
also a problem, and primarily involves straw purchasers and unlicensed
firearms dealing. The district's firearm violence reduction plan will therefore
focus initially on Cincinnati and, once in place there, will be expanded
to include Columbus and Dayton. The initiative will utilize comprehensive
crime gun tracing and analysis, crime mapping, and coordinated law and
regulatory enforcement efforts to identify "hot spots" for focus of law
enforcement efforts and to identify offenders and illegal gun traffickers
for prosecution. The plan further calls for intensified federal prosecution
of individuals found illegally possessing firearms. The U.S. Attorney's
Office, in conjunction with ATF, will offer training to local law enforcement
officers throughout the district on the federal statutes available to combat
those who buy or carry firearms illegally, as well as those who commit
violent crimes or drug offenses while armed. The U.S. Attorney's Office
will coordinate with local prosecutors to determine which cases are appropriate
for federal prosecution. The district is in the process of instituting
an intensive prosecution initiative in Cincinnati. The U.S. Attorney's
Office, ATF, the Cincinnati Police Department, the city's Public Safety
Director and County Prosecutor will participate in this initiative. The
district's plan calls for further intensifying and expanding federal prosecution
of individuals who illegally possess firearms.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern
District of Oklahoma has collaborated with ATF and other federal law enforcement
agencies, as well as state and local law enforcement agencies and the Tulsa
County District Attorney's Office to formulate a multi-faceted plan to
reduce gun violence. The plan calls for the use of comprehensive crime
gun tracing, crime gun information and ballistics to identify violent offenders
and illegal gun traffickers. The district has determined that many of the
firearms used by gang members in the Tulsa area are acquired illegally
at gun shows, and therefore will target such illegal dealings at gun shows.
The U.S. Attorney's Office will coordinate with the local District Attorneys
to screen cases appropriate for federal referral. The district has a violent
crimes task force that targets repeat violent offenders for federal prosecution.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney's Office has expanded a project in which
hardened juvenile violent offenders are brought to court to watch the sentencing
of federal firearms offenders. Federal judges, members of the Department
of Corrections and the Gang Unit of the Police Department have participated
in presentations connected to these sentencings, and the district now plans
to take the presentations directly to the schools. The district is also
initiating a media campaign oriented toward communicating the message that
federal punitive sanctions are severe, and that the penalties are designed
to deter and incapacitate violent offenders.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA
The Eastern District of Oklahoma is a large,
predominantly rural district, with substantial gun violence and gun crime.
Gun ownership is widespread. The state has a concealed weapon law that
prohibits local communities from passing any "law or ordinance" to restrict
the sale or use of firearms. The U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF have developed
a two-tier plan to address firearms violence in the district. This plan
is called "Project E.V.I.C.T." ("End Violence in Communities Today"). Because
federal law enforcement resources in the district are very limited-only
one ATF agent is assigned to cover the district-the plan relies heavily
on federal authorities working closely with all local District Attorney's
Offices and state law enforcement offices, so that local investigative
and prosecutorial resources can support and compliment federal efforts.
First, the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF will educate law enforcement
authorities and local prosecutors in each of the district's 26 counties
to identify firearms cases that involve armed career criminals for review
by ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office and possible federal prosecution.
The district plan's second phase calls for the U.S. Attorney's Office,
ATF, local police agencies and community leaders to identify selected neighborhoods
with recent violent crimes involving firearms for targeted enforcement
action. All career criminals within the neighborhood will be identified
and warned they risk federal prosecution if they are arrested in possession
of a firearm. These individuals will also be told of the communities resources
that are available in the way of job training, drug rehabilitation and
employment.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA
The Western District of Oklahoma includes
over half of the state's area and population. The district launched its
version of "Project Exile" in February 2000. Through this effort the U.S.
Attorney's Office, the ATF, the State Attorney General's Office, the District
Attorney for the Oklahoma City metro area and the Oklahoma City Police
Department are working even more closely than before to identify the gun
cases where federal prosecution is advantageous and appropriate. Recent
changes in state law will effectively increase sentences for armed robbery
but have left sentences for other gun crimes unchanged. Using its crime
mapping technology, the police department has identified the city's gun
hot spots, and efforts are underway to have the Oklahoma Criminal Justice
Resource Center analyze offender characteristics and other trends from
these areas with the goal of developing a "pulling levers" strategy later
this year. Special attention is being given to Oklahoma City's Weed and
Seed area, which is one of the hot spots. A Project Exile publicity campaign
has been developed which includes public service ads, billboards, and an
"Exile of the Week" feature story on a local television station. ATF has
worked with the police department to greatly increase the tracing of crime
guns and has established a liaison with the Oklahoma City Public Schools
to ensure that all guns recovered at a school are traced.
DISTRICT OF OREGON
The District of Oregon's integrated gun
violence reduction plan implements, on a statewide basis, strategies that
were successfully developed and deployed in Portland. The district has
a task force that targets criminals who use firearms in violent crimes,
and a "Youth Gun Anti-Violence Task Force," which targets particular violent
gun offenders and interdicts the illegal supply of firearms to the criminal
element. ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office coordinate law enforcement
efforts and charging decisions with state prosecutors in order to maximize
the impact of legal tools available under federal and state law and to
ensure the efficient use of scarce resources. Other elements of the district's
strategy include: coordinating the seizure of illegally possessed firearms
and the apprehension of gun criminals; using integrated teams of police,
parole and probation officers to intervene and deter; having outreach workers
serve as mentors for high-risk youth in their neighborhoods; engaging many
assets of the local communities, such as public officials, community leaders,
business owners, public school officials, the clergy and private citizens,
in an effort to provide youth with a full range of employment, extracurricular
and other opportunities; engaging front-line professionals in the development
of crime reduction strategies that are "ahead of the curve"; integrating
local research and academic expertise in the development of practical and
effective crime reduction strategies; and establishing and funding a working
group to address issues of ethnic disparities in the local criminal justice
system, to review crime reduction strategies and programs for cultural
relevance and appropriateness, and to ensure that ethnic communities have
a voice in the development of culturally appropriate crime reduction policies
and strategies.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
In response to Philadelphia's extraordinary
rate of firearms violence (the highest rate of homicide by firearm of the
country's ten largest cities), the district developed a comprehensive plan
of attack on firearms offenses, called "Operation Cease Fire." The U.S.
Attorney's Office created a new Firearms Unit, staffed by three Assistant
U.S. Attorneys and two cross-designated Assistant District Attorneys. The
Unit is supported by an investigatory task force, consisting of ATF, U.S.
Marshals Service and state and local police. The Firearms Unit focuses
on cases throughout the district, primarily felons-in-possession who are
armed career criminals or have significant prior records, firearms traffickers,
drug traffickers using firearms and straw purchasers. In the first year
of Operation Cease Fire, the district raised its number of federal firearms
indictments from 62 in 1998 to 231 in 1999, charging 291 defendants. Operation
Cease Fire includes a local and federal "alternative prosecution" program,
aimed at increasing the disposition of firearms cases by the city courts
with appropriate sentences. In this program, the District Attorney's Office
offers certain firearms offenders the opportunity to plead guilty to a
sentence of incarceration considerably greater than what the state courts
ordinarily impose, in lieu of referral for federal prosecution. Operation
Cease Fire has also enhanced the identification and prosecution of gun
trafficking organizations through systematic debriefing by the Philadelphia
Police Department of all persons arrested with a firearm about the source
of their guns, combined with ATF's crime gun tracing analysis. The district
has also developed a public education campaign to warn potential offenders
about the severity of federal sanctions for firearms offenses.
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
The Middle District of Pennsylvania consists
of 33 contiguous counties in central Pennsylvania, extending from the New
York state line on the north to the Maryland state line on the south. The
district is larger but less populated than the two other federal judicial
districts in the state, with more than 370 state and local police forces.
The district has historically emphasized working closely with state and
local law enforcement to target violent offenders and firearms traffickers
for federal prosecution. The district's firearms violence reduction plan
calls for the addition of three key elements: (1) preventing criminal recidivists
and traffickers from illegally obtaining access to firearms through federal
and state collaboration to assure the referral of appropriate cases involving
attempted firearms acquisitions; (2) promoting education, training and
information sharing regarding firearms violence through a three-phase training
program that includes mass distribution of training materials regarding
firearms to all police departments in the district, a police training seminar
to provide more intensive training and updates on federal resources, and
the promotion of the use of NIBIN by all state and local police agencies
which receive crime guns; and (3) prosecuting criminal recidivists and
those who engage in firearms offenses or firearms-related violence in federal
courts. The district is conducting outreach efforts to all state and local
law enforcement agencies, District Attorneys, state parole officials, county
probation offices and county drug task forces to assure the referral of
appropriate cases for federal prosecution.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
In "Operation TARGET" ("Taking Aim to Reduce
Gun Violence and End Trafficking"), the Western District of Pennsylvania
is combining a prosecutorial focus on repeat violent offenders and violent
drug traffickers with an innovative series of programs to attack illicit
gun trafficking. The initiative is implementing a targeted deterrence approach
to investigate and prosecute the most serious violent offenders in the
community, as identified by a combined task force of federal, state and
local law enforcement. The faculty at Carnegie Mellon University is assisting
the task force by providing important gun tracing data and crime mapping
capabilities. At the same time, Operation TARGET has greatly expanded the
district's investigation and prosecution of illicit gun traffickers. The
U.S. Attorney's Office, in cooperation with the ATF, is using trace data
and other investigative information to identify FFLs, employees of FFLs,
and private individuals who are suspected of engaging in trafficking. The
U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF have also launched a cooperative program
to work with participating FFLs to detect illicit trafficking and deter
straw purchases. In addition, Operation TARGET is employing a public awareness
campaign to inform offenders of the serious consequences of violating federal
and state gun laws and to educate the public, especially youth, about the
effects of gun violence. ATF has funded a full-time City of Pittsburgh
police officer to provide gang resistance information and training to middle
school and high school students as part of ATF's national GREAT Program.
Finally, Operation TARGET has brought together a broad base of partners
outside of law enforcement--including political, religious, corporate and
community leaders--to further the initiative's enforcement goals and to
connect prospective offenders with specific prevention and education programs.
DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO
The District of Puerto Rico encompasses
approximately 3,500 square miles, and is home to approximately 3.7 million
people. It is the major port of entry for people entering the United States
from most nations in the Caribbean and from South America. It is also the
primary Caribbean drug transhipment point from South America to the United
States mainland. As a result, Puerto Rico has a high incidence of violent
crime related to drug trafficking or consumption. Many of the district's
crime guns come from Florida, and many have their serial numbers obliterated.
The district's gun violence reduction strategy emphasizes the use of crime
gun tracing and ballistics technology as investigative techniques. The
district also prosecutes aggressively all drug-related murder cases and
other violent crimes involving firearms. The U.S. Attorney's Office is
actively pursuing multiple defendant cases involving violent gangs.
DISTRICT OF RHODE ISLAND
The District of Rhode Island has an active
and aggressive program for investigating, prosecuting and reducing violent
crime throughout the district. The program includes a coordinated effort
with all major federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state and local
police departments, to identify problem areas and develop solutions to
those problems. The gun violence reduction plan draws upon various existing
programs, including "Operation Triggerlock" and the state's gun court program.
In addition, ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office are focusing attention
on investigating and prosecuting cases under the federal statutes prohibiting
false statements in connection with the attempted acquisition of a firearm.
The district will investigate and prosecute all appropriate cases in which
the would-be purchaser has a violent or drug felony conviction, a qualifying
domestic violence protection order or misdemeanor conviction, or appears
to be making purchases for resale to others likely to be involved in violent
crime.
DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina's firearms violence problem
continues to be linked to narcotics trafficking, gang activity and domestic
disputes. The state is also a source state for interstate firearms trafficking.
South Carolina fights firearms violence in a number of ways. South Carolina
has a "one gun a month" law, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division
maintains a registry of state handgun purchases, which allows ATF to identify
illegal firearms markets. Together with federal prosecutors, ATF targets
pawnshops with high numbers of crime guns traces for investigation and
prosecution. The district is also encouraging comprehensive crime gun tracing
and the use of ballistics information. The local ATF office has established
a protocol with its counterpart in New York so that crime guns recovered
in New York that were purchased in South Carolina are identified, and investigations
are handled jointly. The U.S. Attorney's Office and the state prosecutor's
office work closely together to promptly identify cases appropriate for
federal prosecution. In response to a wave of domestic murders, the U.S.
Attorney's Office has begun vigorously prosecuting cases involving possession
of firearms by persons subject to a restraining order, and cases involving
false statements made in the attempted purchase of a firearm by a prohibited
person.
DISTRICT OF SOUTH DAKOTA
The District of South Dakota is largely
rural, and has a history of hunting and ready access to firearms. The state
has not seen a dramatic increase in firearms violence and there has been
little evidence of gang activity involving firearms. Many crimes involving
firearms stem from the accessibility of firearms during an altercation
or in connection with domestic violence. In addition, there is concern
in the district about school violence and firearms safety, as law enforcement
officials report an increase in events where younger individuals brandished
firearms or students brought weapons to school. There have also been a
number of incidents each year where minors are wounded or killed by firearms
left unsecured in homes. Historically, both state and federal prosecutors
have aggressively prosecuted firearms offenses. As part of its firearms
violence reduction plan, the district is expanding upon its existing programs
by enhancing prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. §§ 922 (g)(7) and (g)(8),
to address the issue of domestic violence involving firearms, and of offenses
involving illegal transfers of handguns to minors. The district also is
focusing efforts on preventing school violence and promoting gun safety
in the household.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
The Eastern District of Tennessee is the
largest of the three federal judicial districts in the state, and contains
41 of the state's 95 counties. Approximately 2.2 million people reside
in the district, with roughly 67 percent of the population concentrated
in three metropolitan areas, Knoxville, Chattanooga and the tri-cities
area of Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City. A substantial portion of the
district is rural. The leading sources of gun violence are inner-city drug
dealers and loosely affiliated gang members. Incidents of gun violence
include drive-by shootings arising from turf battles and retaliation, robbery-
and drug theft-related shootings, and gun violence associated with protection
of drug trafficking activities. In addition, armed bank robberies continue
to be a significant source of gun violence in the Chattanooga area. The
district's gun violence reduction plan continues and expands several successful
approaches, including: (1) using task forces to coordinate federal, state
and local law enforcement efforts to screen all defendants arrested with
firearms for potential federal prosecution and to trace all firearms obtained
by local law enforcement; (2) holding semiannual federal, state and local
law enforcement intelligence analysis meetings in five regions within the
district to identify violent organizations and violent individuals who
need to be targeted for federal prosecution; (3) having semiannual comprehensive
violent crime surveys for all law enforcement agencies to help identify
violent crime problems and direct resources to appropriate targets; (4)
promoting information gathering and sharing about gangs and gang activities;
(5) educating students about firearms and promoting zero tolerance for
guns in schools through law enforcement efforts; (6) using ATF's firearms
industry compliance efforts, crime gun trace analysis, investigative resources
and ballistics information to identify and investigate illegal traffickers
of firearms and those who criminally misuse firearms; and (7) educating
private and public groups on hate crimes and offenses under the Violence
Against Women Act.
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
The Middle District of Tennessee is home
to the state's largest city, its capital and health care center, Nashville.
The district has experienced incredible population growth-including a burgeoning
immigrant population-which has contributed to an alarming increase in the
violent crime rate. Three major interstate systems converging in Nashville
have served as a pipeline for drugs and violent gang activity into the
area. In an effort to address this problem, the U.S. Attorney's Office
joined with the Metro Nashville Police Department, ATF and other federal
and local agencies in July 1998 to reduce homicides and other violence.
As a part of this continuing initiative, three local police officers were
assigned full time to ATF in an effort to reduce availability of firearms
to criminals and to provide intelligence on illegal firearms trafficking.
Every gun taken off the street by the Metro Police is traced through ATF's
gun trace system. As a result of this initiative, the homicide rate has
been significantly reduced. Additionally, the district's gun violence reduction
plan includes: (1) monthly meetings with local police captains and federal
law enforcement officers to target and address violent crime issues; (2)
a "Persistent Offender Program," which targets 50 of the most violent and
repeat offenders in the Nashville area; (3) regular meetings with local
District Attorneys to ensure that offenders are being prosecuted in the
most appropriate jurisdiction; (4) educating private and public groups
on reducing hate crime; (5) educating students about firearms in schools;
and (6) using ATF's crime gun trace analysis, investigative resources and
ballistics information to identify and investigate illegal firearms traffickers
and those who criminally misuse firearms.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
Recognizing the importance of inter-agency
cooperation in battling violent crimes, including investigations of firearms
violations, the Western District of Tennessee emphasizes the use of a multi-agency
violent crime task force. In 1990, it formed a "Triggerlock Task Force"
to assure federal prosecution in appropriate cases involving armed career
criminals, felons-in- possession and other adult criminals. In 1995, to
combat the rising number of juvenile firearms offenders, the violent crime
task force was reorganized and expanded to include "Operation Ceasefire,"
under which numerous local and federal law enforcement entities have been
joined by representatives from the Juvenile Court System and Memphis City
Schools. In 1998, the task force sought to adopt a data-driven approach
to strategically target law enforcement and community resources, and the
University of Memphis' Department of Criminology joined Operation Ceasefire.
The District has initiated comprehensive crime gun tracing through ATF's
YCGII Program, including debriefing 100 percent of juvenile firearms offenders,
as well as crime mapping to identify "hot spots." The district also has
a "Safe Streets Task Force" to investigate armed bank robberies, armored
car robberies and armed carjackings. The district's gun violence reduction
plan includes: (1) vigorous investigation and prosecution of firearms violations,
including a "Zero Tolerance Policy on Possessing Firearms in a School Zone";
(2) strategic targeting of resources; (3) coordinated enforcement targeting
of the illegal purchase and sale of firearms, including cross-training
for task force members; (4) collaboration with probation and parole officials
to implement the "pulling levers" strategy to reduce recidivism; and (5)
community involvement, including school-based gun violence and firearms
safety education efforts.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
The population of the Eastern District
of Texas exceeds 2.6 million people, who live in 43 counties that span
over 400 miles. Much of the violent crime in the district is attributable
to drug-related violence including drive-by shootings, armed robberies,
home burglaries, drug-related homicides, gang violence and various property
crimes. Federal authorities in the district have historically enjoyed an
excellent working relationship with all local law enforcement entities
in the district and the U.S. Attorney's Office has worked collaboratively
with local District Attorneys to vigorously prosecute firearms offenders.
The district's firearms violence reduction strategy will initially focus
its efforts in the Beaumont and Tyler areas, using existing task forces.
Key elements of the plan include: (1) regular meetings with local District
Attorneys, ATF and FBI agents, and federal prosecutors to ensure that appropriate
cases are referred for federal prosecution; (2) training on federal firearms
violations for local prosecutors; and (3) collaboration between the state's
four U.S. Attorneys and the Texas Attorney General to discuss implementing
a statewide firearms violence reduction education program. Two Special
Assistant U.S. Attorneys have been hired to prosecute gun cases on the
federal and state level in conjunction with the "Operation Texas Exile"
gun violence reduction program. Additionally, the district will explore
creative options to target individuals that use or sell firearms illegally,
and ATF is focusing enforcement efforts on illegal firearms trafficking
at the large numbers of gun shows and flea markets that occur in the district.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
The Northern District of Texas is geographically
and demographically diverse, making a broad characterization of the gun
violence problem difficult. Nevertheless, armed robbery is the most widespread
form of gun violence in the district. Other sources of gun violence stem
from drug trafficking organizations and from loosely-knit groups of neighborhood
hoodlums engaging in opportunistic crime. The district's gun violence reduction
strategy is based on the aggressive investigation and prosecution of federal
firearms violations in all parts of the district, including an intensive
prosecution program known as "Safe City, USA." It also employs a zero tolerance
policy with regard to probationers, parolees and defendants on supervised
release who unlawfully possess firearms. The district's plan also incorporates
program initiatives in major cities to allow the detection, apprehension
and prosecution of those who commit firearms offenses. The programs include
screening by ATF of local cases involving a firearm recovery or gun violence,
crime gun tracing, debriefing of juvenile offenders apprehended with a
firearm, community outreach and law enforcement training. The district
also has a violent crime initiative, in which ATF and HUD target armed
violent criminals in Dallas public housing.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
The Southern District of Texas is one of
the largest of the 94 federal judicial districts, covering over 14,000
square miles with a population in excess of 6 million people. The district
has adopted a comprehensive, district-wide strategy with region-specific
programs developed in conjunction with local law enforcement and community
leaders in each region. The initiative's key elements include enhanced
enforcement, focused intervention measures and community prevention efforts.
The goal is to have a sustained impact on gun violence through coordinated
prevention and early intervention programs that reinforce enhanced enforcement
of gun laws. The enforcement strategy is to prosecute felons in possession
of firearms and other gun offenders under federal law, regardless of the
arresting agency. Through "Operation Texas Exile," the Texas Attorney General
urged state prosecutors to coordinate intake procedures with U.S. Attorneys
and to ensure that ATF is consulted in all firearms cases at an early stage.
The state funds two prosecutors who serve as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys
to prosecute the increase in federal firearms offenses. The community-based
prevention and intervention component draws upon the established public
safety programs of Weed and Seed, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention's "Comprehensive Strategy" and the state's Community Youth Development
program. The state will fund technical assistance to communities in the
district to promote community awareness and participation through regional
action plans. It is anticipated that gun violence prevention and early
intervention strategies can be most effective when they are supported by
existing regional public safety plans. The district's Law Enforcement Coordinating
Committee sponsors ATF gun tracing training for local law enforcement agencies
as part of YCGII. The Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee provides additional
education through a training grant from the Community Oriented Policing
Service Office to deliver community policing training programs to school
and college campus-based law enforcement agencies. The community technical
assistance will be provided by Fox Valley Technical College.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
Recently, the State of Texas initiated
"Operation Texas Exile," which will provide two District Attorneys and
an assistant State Attorney General to serve as Special Assistant U.S.
Attorneys, acting as points of contact and coordinators to screen appropriate
police referrals for federal prosecution and prosecute appropriate cases
in federal court, as well as identify appropriate cases for state prosecution
where state laws may be most effective. This project will complement the
gun violence strategy of the Western District of Texas, which includes:
(1) aggressively investigating and prosecuting convicted felons caught
in possession of firearms; (2) adopting state narcotics cases that support
filing charges of using or carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking
crime; (3) working closely with state and local agencies to target identified
violent gangs; (4) implementing a training program for state and local
law enforcement officers about federal statutes and penalties that may
be applicable to certain offenders, including firearms offenses, drug trafficking
offenses and circumstances that trigger enhanced penalties; (5) working
with state District Attorneys throughout the district to encourage referral
of appropriate firearms prosecutions for federal prosecution where federal
penalties are likely to be more effective than state penalties; and (6)
identifying, investigating and prosecuting cases in which violent offenders
made false statements in the attempt to acquire a firearm.
DISTRICT OF UTAH
Gun violence in Utah is most prevalent
in the state's five most densely-populated counties, commonly known as
the "Wasatch Front." Particular problems include an increasing number of
assault weapons in the district, access to guns by prohibited persons,
youth gangs, drug-related firearms users (particularly those involved in
producing and selling methamphetamine) and increasing numbers of incidents
of domestic violence involving the use of an illegally-possessed firearm.
Through a cooperative agreement with the Salt Lake County District Attorney
and ATF, the District of Utah has initiated "Project CUFF," Utah's new
gun initiative. Gun violations are jointly screened by an Assistant U.S.
Attorney, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and an ATF agent. All appropriate
cases are referred for federal prosecution.
DISTRICT OF VERMONT
The District of Vermont's efforts to combat
firearms violence in the state are shaped by two realities. First, federal
law enforcement has a unique responsibility to combat the acquisition and
possession of firearms by criminals in Vermont because the state has no
laws prohibiting the possession of firearms by persons prohibited under
federal law. Second, the most pervasive form of violent crime in the state
results from domestic disputes. The district's strategy focuses on bolstering
the resources available to combat violent crime and increasing the coordination
between federal, state and local law enforcement. The district's strategy
will seek and deploy additional investigative resources and foster renewed
collaboration among ATF, state and local law enforcement.
DISTRICT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Prosecuting firearms-related offenses--both
violent firearm offenses and regulatory offenses--is a high priority for
federal authorities in the District of the Virgin Islands. Although the
territorial firearms laws in the Virgin Islands are among the most restrictive
of any U.S. jurisdiction, the Virgin Islands has experienced an increase
in drug-related violent crime, which has created a significant demand among
drug traffickers for firearms, particularly large capacity semiautomatic
weapons. To combat this problem, in accordance with a 1995 MOU with the
territorial prosecutor, all territorial firearms-related offenses for which
the U.S. Attorney's Office exercises concurrent jurisdiction are referred
for federal prosecution. Despite its relatively small size, the U.S. Attorney's
Office also has developed an extremely active public outreach effort, part
of which seeks to stem the tide of violent crime by taking a proactive,
preventive stance and by providing positive role models. The district plans
to expand its public outreach effort to emphasize the deterrence of violent
firearms offenses. ATF and local HIDTA agents, in cooperation with the
Virgin Islands Police Department, are initiating a strategy to identify
and trace all crime guns seized by local law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney's
Office has hosted a series of meetings between ATF and local law enforcement
representatives in an effort to develop a federal-territorial task force
devoted exclusively to the investigation of firearms-related cases, but
such a task force has been hindered by the lack of territorial law enforcement
personnel. Territorial chamber-of-commerce representatives have started
forming a support network for the task force based upon the "Project Exile"
model.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
In 1997, in response to Richmond's rising
homicide rates, the Eastern District of Virginia developed and initiated
"Project Exile." The goal of Project Exile was to reduce gun violence by
changing the culture of violence in Richmond using a comprehensive, multi-dimensional
strategy, which includes a law enforcement/prosecution effort as well as
community outreach and education programs. The law enforcement/prosecution
strategy sought to bring cases involving felons with guns, armed drug dealers,
and armed domestic violence offenders in Richmond into federal court, to
take advantage of the bond rules and sentencing guidelines that were stiffer
than those in the state system. The project has fully integrated and coordinated
local police, state police, federal ATF and FBI investigators, and local
and federal prosecutors, to promptly arrest, incarcerate, detain without
bond, prosecute and sentence the armed criminal. An essential component
of the project has been an innovative community outreach and education
effort through various media to get the message to the criminals about
this crackdown, and build a coalition directed to the problem. The coalition
has funded a creative advertising campaign, including TV and radio commercials,
billboards, a city bus fully painted in black with the logo "An Illegal
Gun Gets You 5 Years in Federal Prison," business cards with this message
distributed on the street by local police, and print advertising. The outreach
program has been hugely successful, increasing citizen reports about guns
and energizing the community to support police efforts. Because of demonstrated
results in reducing gun homicides in Richmond, the U.S. Attorney's Office
has expanded Project Exile to the Tidewater area of Virginia, and is committed
to continuing Project Exile as long as the need exists. In 1999, new legislation
was passed in Virginia to make state laws more comparable to federal laws
on bond and gun offenses, and the district will work with the Commonwealth's
Attorney to have appropriate gun cases prosecuted in local courts. The
Eastern District of Virginia also has local, state and federal task forces
which investigate homicide and violent drug gangs. These investigations
have resulted in federal prosecutions of individuals responsible for scores
of homicides in this district.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
The Western District of Virginia has few
large cities, a significant rural geography and a location along a major
firearms trafficking pipeline. The most serious gun violence problems in
the district arise from illegal possession of firearms by felons, especially
in connection with drug activity. Another significant problem is related
to gun violence by persons who have been previously convicted of misdemeanor
crimes of domestic violence. Using statistical analysis, the district has
worked with localities to identify those communities that would most benefit
from federal attention. In one such community, an Assistant Commonwealth's
Attorney has been appointed a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney to handle
firearms cases in federal court. This assistant is responsible for a domestic
violence unit in his office and will identify appropriate cases of possession
of firearms by persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence
for federal prosecution.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
The Eastern District of Washington consists
of 20 counties east of the Cascade mountain range and shares 182 miles
of border with Canada. Spokane is the largest city in the district, and
federal investigation and prosecution of violent gang members has been
a top priority in the Spokane area. Street intelligence suggests that this
has had a noticeable impact, including causing some gang members to leave
the area. The federal focus on gang members has also had the effect of
increasing the number of state convictions for drug and firearms offenses
by gang members. ATF recently committed to enhancing its existing collaboration
with state and local gang units by assigning one of its agents to work
directly with the city gang investigation unit of the Spokane Police Department.
An increased emphasis on crime gun tracing in the district will enable
law enforcement officials to target resources more effectively. In addition,
to prevent school firearms violence, the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF,
in cooperation with state and local law enforcement agencies, the local
prosecutors office, and school officials, formed a joint task force. The
goal of the "Coordinated Response for Prevention and Intervention of Juvenile
Violence in Spokane County Schools" is to maintain a violence-free school
system by preventing school violence and ensuring swift accountability
for violations.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
Gun violence in the Western District of
Washington stems predominately from street gangs and drug dealers engaged
in drive-by shootings, gang rivalries and methamphetamine trafficking.
The communities most affected by this violence are the City of Lakewood
near Tacoma and the Ranier Valley-White Center areas of Seattle. An integral
part of the district's gun violence reduction plan is greater coordination
with local authorities through the King County Violent Firearms Crime Coalition,
whose mission is to measurably reduce the incidence of firearms crimes
in King County. The Coalition includes representatives from the King County
Sheriff's Office (KCSO), 13 KCSO contract cities, the King County Police
Chiefs Association, youth and adult detention centers, the Washington Department
of Corrections, the King County Prosecutor's Office, ATF, FBI and the U.S.
Attorney's Office. The Coalition's program includes a multi-jurisdictional
approach to the apprehension and prosecution of firearms violators, coordination
with federal and state corrections, on-going training of law enforcement,
prosecution, and corrections personnel, and community outreach and education.
Seattle participates in ATF's YCGII to ensure comprehensive crime gun tracing,
and the district is encouraging enhanced use of ballistics technology and
information. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF will be co-sponsors
of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) gun investigation training
course.
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA
The largely rural Northern District of
West Virginia has experienced firearms violence associated with illegal
drug activity. There are also occasional incidents involving the use of
guns in domestic violence disputes and in schools. West Virginia is also
a source state for gun traffickers, and has a significant problem with
straw purchasers. In addition, state firearms laws are extremely weak and
provide no significant penalties for persons convicted of firearms violations
in state courts. The district has implemented a multi-faceted approach
to reducing gun violence which includes training, coordination and prosecution.
Through training, federal authorities hope to assist state and local law
enforcement in more thorough investigations of firearms offenses, and encourage
them to develop and present cases for federal prosecution. ATF will train
all FFLs regarding compliance with the firearms laws, and FFLs with high
trafficking indicators will be targeted for prosecution. Through enhanced
coordination, the U.S. Attorney's Office, ATF, and state and local law
enforcement will target career criminals and corrupt FFLs, to ensure that
they are prosecuted and receive the maximum available penalties. The U.S.
Attorney's Office is also implementing a targeted deterrence effort, aimed
at males age 18-25, and ATF is implementing comprehensive crime gun tracing.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA
The Southern District of West Virginia
has a significant number of convicted felons using firearms in property
crimes or crimes of violence. The city of Beckley, West Virginia, has the
fastest growing crime rate in the state and has become a hub for illegal
narcotics traffickers. In addition, firearms trafficking from West Virginia
to many northeastern cities is an emerging problem. As part of the district's
firearms violence reduction plan, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern
District of West Virginia and ATF are focusing new efforts on Beckley/Raleigh
County and the West Side and East End of the city of Charleston. In particular,
ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office are cooperating closely with local law
enforcement to identify potential federal firearms cases, educate investigators
regarding the statutes under which federal prosecutions can be made and
expand comprehensive crime gun tracing. The district is identifying and
investigating for federal prosecution prohibited persons in possession
of firearms -such as felons and perpetrators of domestic violence-persons
violating the law when procuring firearms, and persons illegally providing
firearms to prohibited persons, particularly those firearms subsequently
involved in crimes. The district is also performing community outreach
for domestic firearms violence prevention. ATF also plans to target pawnshops
in Beckley engaged in illegal firearms trafficking.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN
Together with ATF, the Milwaukee District
Attorney's office, and state and local law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney's
Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin is implementing "Milwaukee
Ceasefire,"designed to reduce the illegal possession and use of guns in
Milwaukee. The first component of Milwaukee Ceasefire is a task force devoted
to the investigation of all felony and misdemeanor firearms offenses. The
task force also shares intelligence on illegal drug and firearms markets.
Milwaukee has a comprehensive crime gun tracing program under ATF's YCGII,
which the district is working to extend county-wide. The second
component is a substantial increase in the number of state firearms cases
adopted for federal prosecution, to take advantage of the comparatively
stiff sentencing and parole provisions of federal firearms law. Two full-time
Assistant District Attorneys are provided by the state and are cross-designated
as full-time Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys. The third component provides
four new Assistant District Attorneys to intensify prosecution of gun cases
in the newly created "State Speedy Trial Gun Court," which will handle
state misdemeanor and felony gun cases within 60 days of initial appearance.
The fourth component of Milwaukee's Ceasefire is a media campaign using
television, radio, billboards and buses to convey a deterrence message.
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN
The key component of the gun violence reduction
plan for the Western District of Wisconsin is enhanced collaboration among
all levels of law enforcement. Although federal, state, and local law enforcement
officials within the district communicate regularly and actively prosecute
a wide range of firearms cases, federal authorities plan to enhance that
cooperation. The U.S. Attorney's Office has engaged in outreach to all
law enforcement agencies in the district to increase opportunities for
appropriate federal adoption of firearms cases. The district also has conducted
a training program for law enforcement officers to help reduce illegal
firearms trafficking, and ATF will provide statewide training on firearms
violations. ATF will also encourage the metropolitan police departments
to implement comprehensive crime gun tracing to more strategically target
law enforcement resources.
DISTRICT OF WYOMING
The District of Wyoming has high rates of domestic violence throughout the state, combined with high rates of firearms ownership. According to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the ATF field office in Cheyenne, the majority of weapons offenses stem from drug investigations and crimes of domestic violence. Whereas federal sentences for firearms convictions carry relatively heavy penalties and require that most of the time sentenced be served, state firearms convictions typically carry shorter sentences and require a smaller percentage of time to be served prior to release. As part of an arrangement with state and local prosecutors and federal, state and local law enforcement, the majority of firearms offenses are referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office. To address the scarcity of resources available to address firearms violations throughout the state, ATF is seeking to have local law enforcement officers assigned to the ATF field office to serve as liaisons between ATF and the local agencies on adopted cases, allowing ATF agents to focus on long-term, complex cases. ATF also plans to enhance its inspections of federal firearms dealers to cut down on illegal firearms trafficking.