Jan. 23, 2008

Westchester County wants to get illegal guns off the streets. County Executive Andy Spano and District Attorney Janet DiFiore today announced that starting this week, Westchester County will offer up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone in possession of an illegal gun.  The Gun Rewards program will be publicized on TV and radio, in ads on county buses and on posters and fliers distributed throughout the county, as well as posted online on Craigslist. It’s all part of a national effort to stop the flow of illegal guns into our communities.

“Every gun we can take off the streets could result in a life saved,” said Spano. “Illegal guns contribute to crime, gang violence and are a danger to everyone. We want to stop a crime before it happens. That’s why we are working with the District Attorney to offer rewards for information that can help police fight this threat to our communities.’’

District Attorney DiFiore said, “Illegal handguns are a catalyst for violence and death. Too many people and too many families have been damaged by gun violence. Incentives such as this reward program are meant to send a message that couldn’t be clearer: possession of an illegal handgun in Westchester will not be tolerated and we will use any and every appropriate avenue possible to protect the residents of this county by taking guns off our streets.”

Under the gun rewards program, a special tips hotline has been established at County Police headquarters: (914) 231-4GUN (4486). The hotline is staffed 24 hours. Callers who do not want to give their name will be assigned a confidential number that can be used when it is time to collect the reward. The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the Board of Legislators approved an initial $20,000 to finance the program.

Board of Legislators Chairman Bill Ryan -- who also chaired the Board’s Public Safety Committee -- said the program sends a clear message to criminals that the county will not tolerate the proliferation of illegal guns and violence in our communities.

 “The Legislature authorized the rewards program to better protect our citizens from dangerous criminals. Over the years, too many children have been injured or killed by senseless gun violence. We owe it to our children to do everything we can to keep illegal handguns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals.”

 “This program is a great investment without using taxpayer dollars to get illegal guns off the street,” said Legislator Mike Kaplowitz, who headed the Budget and Appropriations Committee.

Commissioner Thomas Belfiore of the Department of Public Safety said the program provides people with an opportunity to make their neighborhoods safer. “The rewards program is another weapon that law enforcement can use against those who engage in gun violence. It’s also another way that residents can partner with police to keep their communities safe.”

Since January 2005, the Ballistics Unit of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety has examined and tested more than 900 guns involved in crimes in Westchester. Illegal handguns make up a high percentage of the weapons that come to the county police crime lab as part of a criminal investigation.

There are more than 30,000 gun deaths in the United States each year, nearly 12,000 of which are homicides, according to Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan, nationwide coalition of mayors. The state Department of Criminal Justice Services has found that a firearm is involved in one of out every four violent crimes in New York.

Spano said that the Rewards Program is part of a larger effort to rid communities of illegal guns. Last month he met with NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who started Mayors Against Illegal Guns with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino in 2006. Spano, a board member of the County Executives of America, is now recruiting county executives nationwide to work on the problem and this month will launch County Executives Against Illegal Guns.
                               
“I am reaching out to County Executives across the country to join us in this effort.  We are asking them to sign a statement of basic principles, but since every community is different it is up to them to find the best approach for their own community.’’