Memorandum from Peter J Nickles, Attorney
General, District of Columbia
TRENDS IN HOMICIDES IN WASHINGTON DC SINCE
THE INTRODUCTION (IN 1976) AND SUBSEQUENT WITHDRAWAL (IN 2008)
OF A BAN ON HANDGUNS
MEASURES IN
PLACE TO
ENSURE RESPONSIBLE
GUN OWNERSHIP
Our recent changes in the District's firearms
laws have included the following measures to promote responsible
firearm ownership. They include:
— The registrant must submit fingerprints
for a national criminal background check and identification purposes.
— All handguns must be submitted to the
Metropolitan Police Department ("MPD") for a ballistics
identification procedure, for which the registrant must pay a
reasonable fee. The ballistics may be used in the event of a crime
traced to a legally registered weapon.
— The registrant must demonstrate satisfactorily
a knowledge of the laws of the District of Columbia pertaining
to firearms and, in particular, the safe and responsible use,
handling, and storage of the same in accordance with training,
tests, and standards prescribed by MPD.
— The registrant must have vision better
than or equal to that required to obtain a valid driver's license
under the laws of the District of Columbia.
— The registrant must have completed a
firearms training or safety course or class conducted by a state-certified
firearms instructor or a certified military firearms instructor
that provides, at a minimum, a total of at least one hour of firing
training at a firing range and at least 4 hours of classroom instruction.
— The registrant must specify, inter alia,
any business or occupation in which he or she has engaged during
the previous five years, the intended use of the firearm, where
the firearm will generally be kept and any other information that
MPD deems necessary to carry out the registration provisions.
— Unless the registrant is a new resident
of the District, MPD shall register no more than one pistol per
registrant during any 30-day period.
— Registration certificates expire three
years after the date they are issued, unless the registrant renews
the registration.
— The registrant's firearms certificate
includes a photograph so that law enforcement can more easily
link a legally registered firearm to its owner.
— The registrant may renew his or her registration
if he or she continues to satisfy all of the initial registration
requirements.
— The registrant must submit to a background
check once every six years to confirm that he or she continues
to meet the registration qualifications.
— The registrant must notify MPD if his
or her firearm is sold, transferred, lost, stolen or destroyed,
or if the information submitted to procure the registration changes.
STRATEGIES TO
REDUCE GUN
VIOLENCE
The control of illegally obtained firearms is
a critical factor in reducing gun violence within the District.
More than three-quarters of all homicides, more than two-fifths
of all robberies, and one-fifth of all assaults with a weapon
are committed with illegal firearms. Unfortunately the flow of
weapons into the District from other states is beyond the ability
of our local government to control. From a policy perspective,
our Mayor meets routinely with Governors of the surrounding states
and has raised the need to take action to reduce the flow of weapons.
We have continually sought to persuade these jurisdictions to
increase limitations on firearms purchases—such as the number
purchased by an individual each month.
From the enforcement perspective, recovering
illegal guns and reducing gun crimes is a top priority for police.
For instance, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) works with
federal law enforcement partners to try to prevent illegal guns
from coming into the District from other jurisdictions. MPD also
recently established a Firearm Tip Reward Program that encourages
community members to provide tips to police about illegal guns
in their neighborhoods. The process is absolutely anonymous—calls
can not be traced to identify the source of the call. Rewards
up to $1,000 are paid for tips that result in a firearm recovery
and/or arrest. Individuals providing tips are assigned a unique
Tip Number. To receive payment, callers follow up after seven
days. If the tip has been deemed reliable, payment will be made
through a single-use debit card. This program will help MPD to
recover illegal guns. Since 2007, the Department has taken more
than 9,000 illegal guns off the streets.
Of course, our police also focus on known violent
offenders, working with partners in the criminal justice system
to monitor them. Just last year, DC launched an innovative Gun
Offender Registry, which requires gun offenders to register with
police for 2 years past the end of any other parole or probation.
Since we found that many offenders would re-offend shortly after
the end of supervision, this helps to increase the time they stay
clean, hopefully leading to less recidivism. And if they do offend,
it will be easier for the police to get them off the street.
|
