GunStoppers Program Unveiled at Old Westbury

Recently, Suny College at Old Westbury and College President Dr. Calvin Butts, III hosted Nassau County Executive Thomas Suaozzi, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, New York State Homeland Security Secretary Michael Balboni and Nassau County Plice Department Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey, as they announced the creation and implementation of the Nassau County Police Department's GunStoppers Program. GunStoppers, the Department's latest innovative anti-gun initiative, is an anonymous tip program that offers rewards of up to $2000 to individuals who provide information leading to the recovery of an illegal gun.
The comprehensive plan includes three major initiatives.
The first prong of the strategy involves the police departmen's implementation of "GunStoppers," which will offer anonymous citizens up to $2000 in exchange for information leading to the seizure of an illegal gun. Mulvey said that the goal of the plan is to collect guns used in crimes and that the police department and District Attorney will trace the source of the guns used in crimes in an effort to investigate illeagal gun distribution networks with tentacles in Nassau County.
In 2006, there were 54 reported shootings involving injury in Nassau County. IN 207, that number climbed to 67. According to the New York State Division of Criminal Juctice Services, there were 490 'crime guns' recovered in Nassau County in 2006 and 2007.
"GunStoppers is the Police Department's newest proactive initiative that will help us find and recover illegal guns, arrest and build cases against those who use guns to commit crimes and dismantle illegal gun distribution netwoeks," said Commissioner Mulvey.
The second portion of the strategy revolves around the District Attorney's commitment to aggressively inveestigate and prosecute defendant's accused of carrying a gun illegally. In cases where an illegal gun is recovered, the District Attorney will demand that the defendant be sentenced to three and a half years in prison, explained Rice. Law enforcement will also investigate the source of the guns seized during the course of these investigations and prosecutions.
"Taking illegal guns off our streets is a top priority of my administration," said Rice. "We will continue to push the envelope, toughen prosecutions and attack the networks that bring guns into our communities."
The third component of the strategy is aimed at reducing the recidivism rate of the parolees returning to Nassau County after serving time on gun-related offenses. Rice said that her office, in partnership with the New York State Division of Parole, will provide an additional mandatory condition on the parole of defendants released after serving time for gun-related offenses. The condition will allow the District Attorney to monitor and track their participation in essential behavior modification programs that teach parolees how to live lawfully and productively outside incarceration and within their communities. Rice said that once these essential programs become a condition of their parole, defendants will have no choice but to participate in a positive re-entry process that will keep them from re-offending. "It's another layer of protection the community will have against recidicist offenders, " said Rice.
"This is an example of the kind of thoughtful, long term crime reduction straategy that will make our streets safer by attacking the recidivism rate among these defendants," said Secretary Balboni in response to the announcement of the re-entry initiative.
According to the New York State Division of Parole, 31% of parolees released after serving prision time on violent felony offenses violated the conditions of their parole within three years of being released from prision.
"We are fortunate to live in one of the safest counties in the nation, but we are not immune to gun violence," said County Executive Suozzi. "I urge anyone who knows of an illegal gun to contact the GunStoppers hotline at 1-877-4GUN411. The rewards for calling GunStoppers are safer stretts and compensation for your efforts."