D.C. police officers will ask residents to let them search their homes for handguns without facing the risk of arrest as part of a three-pronged initiative aimed at lowering gun violence.
The amnesty program, called “Safe Homes Initiative,” is aimed at taking guns off the streets and allows residents the give up illegal weapons without being locked up, according to D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. The three initiatives were announced Wednesday, one week before the District goes before the U.S. Supreme Court to defend its strict handgun ban law.
Beginning March 24, during D.C. schools’ spring break, beat patrol officers will go door-to-door in Southeast D.C. encouraging residents to let them into their homes to search for weapons.
Adult residents must sign a consent form permitting the search in exchange for the amnesty from arrest.
“We can’t arrest ourselves out of this problem,” Lanier said.
Illegal weapons will be confiscated and sent to a crime lab for ballistic testing and destroyed if they are not found to be linked to any other crimes. Police will initiate criminal investigations when the guns are found to be connected to illegal activity, Lanier said.
D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson expressed doubts about the plan.
“I can’t see how a police officer knocking on the door to look for guns is going to be warmly received,” said Mendelson.
Lanier and Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes also said they were beefing up police presence in targeted areas in Northeast, Northwest and Southeast D.C.
The other parts of the initiative include a program that gathers city agencies to share information to improve tracking of gun cases and an anonymous hotline, 1-888-919-CRIME, where residents can call to provide tips for ongoing investigations.
Lanier said better relations between residents and police are necessary in reducing crime statistics, but some residents have their reservations about the MPD.
“Right now, I give them ‘D,’ ” said Jermaine Jones who lives in the Shirley Terrace neighborhood in Southeast.
Jones, 27, said relations are improving in his neighborhood slowly but said he supported the Safe Homes program.
“It’s a good thing. I don’t want a gun in my house or anywhere near my child,” Jones said. “But if we have to first trust the cops to do their job.”
