Chief of
Police Charles H. Ramsey today called on the community to help
the police reduce gun violence this holiday season by, among
other things, turning in firearms on December 8-9 during the
next phase of the District's gun buy-back program.
Ramsey said handguns, long guns and other firearms will be accepted
at all seven police district stations from 12 noon to 7 p.m.,
on Friday, December 8, and Saturday, December 9. Individuals
will be paid $100 in cash for each pistol, revolver or assault-style
weapon they turn in to police; they will receive $50 for each
rifle or shotgun. As with previous gun buy-backs, individuals
can turn in weapons anonymously, with no questions asked.
"While the holidays are traditionally a time of joy and giving,
experience tells us that for some people, they can also be a
time of tremendous tension and stress. When firearms are introduced
into the mix, all too often the tragic results are needless
shootings, homicides and suicides," Ramsey said. "We have purposefully
scheduled this latest gun buy-back to coincide with the holiday
season - to give people a chance to get dangerous weapons out
of their homes, while putting a little extra cash in their pockets."
In two previous gun buy-backs, held in August 1999 and May 2000,
Metropolitan Police collected a total of 4,700 firearms. Except
for a few interesting or unique weapons that are kept for training
or display purposes, all firearms collected during gun buy-backs
in the District are destroyed after they have been test-fired
and ballistics evidence gathered.
Ramsey said
that while homicides in the District are down slightly from
1999 levels, the ready availability of firearms continues to
drive the city's violent crime rate. "In many of our homicides
and shootings, we are finding that people are quick to turn
to a gun to settle an argument or 'even the score' with someone
else, often over trivial matters. Reducing the number of firearms
that are readily available in these types of situations - especially
during the December holidays - can go a long way toward preventing
shootings, both lethal and non-lethal," Ramsey said.
In addition to getting firearms out of their homes and communities,
Ramsey encouraged residents this holiday season to:
- Get
involved in the District's community policing strategy, " Policing
for Prevention ." Police and residents in all 83 police
service areas ( PSAs )
meet on a regular basis to identify neighborhood crime problems
and develop solutions for solving them. Ramsey said that by
addressing less serious crime and disorder problems early
on, police and residents can often prevent more serious and
violent offenses from occurring.
- Join
citizen patrols, Neighborhood Watches and other programs that
increase the community's visibility in their neighborhoods.
Ramsey said the addition of approximately 200 uniformed officers
working each night under the redeployment plan announced earlier
this year provides additional support for citizen patrol efforts.
- Provide
police with information and cooperate with criminal investigators.
Ramsey said the Department continues to offer a $10,000 reward
for information leading to an indictment and conviction in
any unsolved homicide in the District. The Department's Crime
Solvers program offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information
leading to arrests in shootings and other serious crimes.
The Crime Solvers hotline is 1-800-673-2777.
- Report
illegal guns through the " Operation
Ceasefire " gun tip hotline, 1-800-ATF-GUNS. Phase 2 of
the "Operation Save a Life" gun buy-back is funded by the
U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development and the District of Columbia.
More information about the District's gun buy-back program
can be found on the Police Department's Web site - www.mpdc.org
- or by calling the gun buy-back hotline, 202-727-3721.