Saturday, March 09, 2013

Gun crimes in Franklin County, Ohio

I sure was happy to read in the Columbus Dispatch that a gun crack down DEVELOPED FOUR YEARS AGO using current laws is working. Prosecutor Ron O'Brien created a special gun crimes unit and has had a 98% conviction rate over the past 3 years. "Most violent crime in our county occurs at the intersection of guns, gangs and drugs," he said. It should be on the front page, but can be found in Sec. B of the Mar. 8 Columbus Dispatch. It should also be on the national news as a model for cities who want to clean up crime so the citizens are safe. Chicago comes to mind, but it's possible the crime, corruption and "community organizers" are just in too deep there.

“The idea to start the units came after a Near East Side shooting in 2008 that wounded two police officers. Police and prosecutors realized that a gun case against one of the suspects had languished. A further review uncovered a bottleneck between police and prosecutors that had stalled dozens of cases.

Although detectives in such units as the assault and robbery squads were well-versed in what was needed to make a good felony case for a gun offense, not all patrol officers were. Detectives of the Columbus gun unit review every carrying-a-concealed-weapon case that is prepared by patrol officers to make sure it is ready for a quick indictment.

The four prosecutors assigned to O’Brien’s unit take the cases from there.

The 60 indictments secured by the unit this year range from carrying a concealed weapon, possessing a weapon under disability, and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.”

No comments: