The Fairfax County Police Department announced a new effort to reduce violent crime and help prosecutors get more convictions against people who illegally carry guns. News4’s Drew Wilder takes a look.
The Fairfax County Police Department announced a new effort to reduce violent crime and help prosecutors get more convictions against people who illegally carry guns.
The plan announced Tuesday comes a day before Virginia’s lawmakers start discussing dozens of new gun safety laws.
Police Chief Kevin Davis said police and prosecutors want to stop people convicted of felonies from illegally carrying guns in the county.
“Still too often in society, people who illegally carry firearms are more prone to go to that firearm when they’re engaged in an otherwise petty dispute,” he said.
Last year, there were about 80 cases where police seized a gun from a convicted felon or cases where the gun was altered in an illegal way, Davis said.
County prosecutors said the way the law is written, it can be difficult to land a conviction of these crimes.
“You would think that, oh, it sounds easy to prosecute somebody for having a gun with an extended magazine in Fairfax County, but there are actually a number of very specific things that need to be proven to get a conviction in that case,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said.
Descano’s office and police announced what they called Operation Press Check to clean up the way they collectively work on these cases, to more effectively get illegal guns out of felons’ hands.
‘”The evidence, the forensics, the fingerprints, the interviews, the technology follow-ups – all that work is going to be done in a more laser-focused way on the front end,” Davis said.
The chief said more thorough and detailed documentation, data collection and investigation will help build stronger cases for prosecutors.
To do that, Det. Jeremy Hoffman will lead a team of seasoned veterans who will help younger patrol officers who recover illegal guns.
“My team is going to come in and partner with them. We’re going to look at the case and make sure all of the steps are taken along the way to ensure that we’re giving the best case that we can to the prosecutor’s office,” he said.
Virginia Democrats are pursuing new gun laws
New gun safety laws will be a big focus when Virginia’s General Assembly gavels into session on Wednesday. Democrats have already filed several bills. Here’s some of what they aim to do:
- Limit or ban the sale, transfer or purchase of assault rifles
- Require a three-day waiting period between the time a gun is purchased and when the buyer can have it
- Make it illegal to carry a concealed handgun onto the property of any restaurant, bar or club that sells alcohol
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New gun safety laws have a good chance of making it through the Democratic-controlled General Assembly but could struggle to get the signature of Virginia’s Republican governor.
