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Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Dena Iverson Fenty, Lanier Announce New Programs to Prevent Gun ViolenceMayor Adrian M. Fenty and Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced today the launch of a multi-phased public safety initiative to kick off as we head into the spring and summer months. Phase One: GunStat. Much like the CapStat process, GunStat is a collaborative information sharing process among local law enforcement agencies, including the Office of the Attorney General, the Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Attorneys Office, D.C. Superior Court, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency and DC Pretrial Services Agency. GunStat will track gun gases from arrest to prosecution, and will allow law enforcement partners to identify repeat offenders, follow trends, and create law enforcement strategies that will prevent gun-related crimes. Phase Two: Safe Homes Initiative. As part of Chief Lanier’s ongoing community policing strategy, the Metropolitan Police Department will launch the Safe Homes Initiative on March 24, 2008. Parents or guardians will be encouraged to voluntarily allow their neighborhood foot beat officers to enter their homes to search for weapons without risk of arrest. Beginning during this year’s spring break, officers will go door-to-door in the Focused Improvement Areas (FIA) of the Seventh Police District to ask residents if they will allow officers to do security checks of their homes. If weapons are recovered, they will be tested and destroyed if the weapons are not found to be linked to any other crimes. Phase Three: Anonymous Toll-Free Crime Tip Line – 1-888-919-CRIME. The Metropolitan Police Department now has a toll free crime tip line – 1-888-919-CRIME. The tip line will be staffed by detectives 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anyone who has information concerning a homicide, gangs, guns, or other violent offenses can call the anonymous tip line, and a detective will report all information. The toll-free number will also be displayed on L.E.D. boards in patrol cars throughout the District. “We have been working for some time with our law enforcement partners to come up with more ways to combat gun violence,” said Mayor Fenty. “Chief Lanier has already made strides with her community policing initiative and these programs will provide even more tools to help our police officers do their jobs in fighting crime in the city.” “We cannot do enough to empower residents to play a role in keeping their neighborhood safe. The Safe Home initiative and the anonymous tip line will do just that. They will be another tool for residents, or anyone else who has information about a crime, to have immediate access and interaction with the police,” said Chief Lanier. |
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