Message-ID: 
Newsgroups: AIRGUN.LIST
In a message dated 98-04-05 20:56:42 EDT, you write:
<< I know it's not airgun specific, but it should be important to all of
 us.
 Jim
 
 
 -> Newsgroups: PRN
 -> ------------Begin Forwarded Message==================
 -> Note this is confirmed as having come from HCI. It details their next
 -> line of
 -> attack.   Mike P >>
I took this opportunity to take a look at HCI's web site and see what they 
re
actually saying in public. (see below) Sounds pretty reasonable to me, with a
strong bent towards enforcement of current laws and solving real crimes and
going after criminals rather than being anti-gun per se. 
Your "reported" HCI letter sounds dopey and like it is intentionaly trying to
rile gun folks up.
If HCI or any other gun control organization is saying stupid things then 
ets
hear about it. However, distributing dumb sounding letters "reported" to be,
but not actually, from an organization does nothing positive.
dtf
directly from HCI web site:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                             COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIES HELP
                        LAW ENFORCEMENT REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE
(April 2, 1998, Washington, DC.) A survey and analysis conducted by the 
enter
to Prevent Handgun Violence
(CPHV) of 48 large urban police departments demonstrate that new strategies
developed to combat illegal gun
trafficking and reduce gun violence are having a positive effect. ON THE 
RONT
LINE: MAKING GUN
INTERDICTION WORK shows that a strategic approach to gun crime, in which 
very
seized gun and every gun
crime is treated as a piece of an interlocking puzzle, provides law
enforcement with much better odds to combat
the trade and use of illegal firearms.
"Every large city in America suffers from an ongoing plague of gun crime,"
said Sarah Brady, chair of CPHV. "But
Boston, New York and other cities have demonstrated that we do not have to
accept gun violence as a fact of
life. This report will help law enforcement around the country in selecting
the strategies that work best for them."
This report is the culmination of two years of research that included a
nationwide survey of urban police
departments, wherein the respondents described their efforts to reduce gun-
related crime in their jurisdictions.
Eight site visits were made to police departments with comprehensive
strategies. (Baltimore City, MD, Baltimore
County, MD Boston, MA, Buffalo, NY, Kansas City, MO, Los Angeles, CA, New 
ork
City, NY, San Antonio,
TX.) The specific elements of these programs are presented as case studies.
"The [eight] case studies of other cities," said New York City Police
Commissioner Howard Safir, "were
particularly interesting in that they gave me the opportunity to see how 
ther
law enforcement agencies are
dealing with the proliferation of firearms."
Although each city developed its own successful strategy for reducing gun
violence, certain common elements
are stressed by the report, including: 
    Cooperation with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms 
ATF)
in exploring joint initiatives and
    effective methods of using the ATF’s gun tracing data. 
    Standardizing gun crime investigative procedures so that each
investigation covers persistent areas of
    concern -- and entering the information in a local gun database so that
the intelligence may be shared with
    other units within the agency. These methods ensure that every time a gun
is seized, the circumstances of
    that gun’s entry into the community are aggressively pursued. 
    An emphasis on regulatory enforcement of firearms dealers; although most
federally licensed gun dealer
    transactions take place within the constraints of the law, one corrupt
dealer can put hundreds of guns into
    criminal trafficking networks. 
    Special gun trafficking training for law enforcement officers, including:
refresher courses in the laws
    governing search and seizure; specific elements of gun crimes; gun
trafficking indicators; techniques for
    officer safety; and firearms recognition. 
    Establishment of priorities with local prosecutors and legislators. In
some localities, local prosecutors
    increased emphasis on gun trafficking; in others, legislators looked to
close loopholes in gun laws that may
    lead to crime. 
Additionally, most of the participating law enforcement agencies agreed on
four necessary steps for gun violence
deterrence: 
    Taking guns away from criminals and youth by intensive and focused
patrolling, effective warrant service,
    and in-depth interviews of everyone involved with gun-related crimes,
including witnesses. 
    Deterring the use of guns through aggressive investigation of shootings,
computerized offense tracking, and
    patrols by off-duty officers where there is a high risk of gun violence. 
    Removing repeat offenders from the community, including the use of
interagency and multi-jurisdictional task
    forces to track and arrest career criminals. 
    Offering alternatives for at-risk youth -- through school, community
center and religious programs. 
For copies of ON THE FRONT LINE: MAKING GUN INTERDICTION WORK, contact the 
aw
Enforcement
Relations department at the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence at (202)
289-7319.
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