In the past week, Baltimore police seized 53 “crime guns” from city streets ? including an illegal sawed-off rifle and machine pistol.
In a news conference Tuesday at department headquarters, Baltimore Police Deputy Commissioner Col. Frederick Bealefeld said officers tracked four fatal shootings during the same time period as the seizures, from Feb. 25 to March 4.
“We?re not here to claim any sort of victory,” Bealefeld said. “We?re here to reaffirm our commitment to do our part to make this city safer.”
So far this year, Bealefeld said, the department was seeing a lower number of gun seizures ? about 100 fewer than last year ? and wanted to step up its efforts.
“This is a very high number of guns for a week,” Bealefeld said of the seizure.
Bealefeld said firearms like the ones seized last week are contributing to an increase of shootings in Baltimore.
Baltimore police have tracked 115 shootings in 2007, compared with 89 this time last year.
Bealefeld said criminals are acquiring guns through a number of ways, including illegal sales, gifts and thefts.
“We can make drug arrests, but we want to focus on people in the community that have guns,” Bealefeld said. “They?re the folks that pose a very, very real danger to all of us, to the whole city.”
The department will melt down the guns after their evidentiary value has expired.
“Let?s be clear: These are crime guns,” Bealefeld said. “They?re in houses with drugs. They?re in the possession of people who have violent criminal histories.”
