Hello everyone,
This week, two key moves were made in efforts to deal with gun violence that seemed to pick up momentum during the pandemic and reversed some earlier progress.
The City of Wilmington joined with the Delaware Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Delaware and other federal agencies in expanding the Wilmington Police GunStat program. GunStat uses combined resources in arresting, prosecuting, and jailing individuals who commit violent gun crimes.
In a related development, the state Attorney General’s office and law enforcement agencies announced 91 felony charges related to illegal “straw” gun purchases in Sussex County. Two of the guns were linked to a homicide and suicide. None of this is a surprise, given the speed that stolen or illegally purcahed guns make their way into the wrong hands.
GunStat has led to some successes through the use of CompStat, a data management system that deploys police resources to areas with high crime rates.
One weak link has been bail reform, a response to mass incarceration for those without the money and legal representation afforded to the more affulent. Sadly, it led to some violent offenders getting back on the street.
One bad decision in the criminal justice system can lead to tragic consequences as seen in the case of Keith Gibson who is now linked to four murders
The task of dealing with illegal guns is daunting, given the number of weapons already in circulation and the underlying problems related to poverty, education and overall hopelessness.
Still, the joint efforts in Wilmington and Sussex are a positive sign. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
