June 25, 2012

“FOCUSED DETERRENCE” NEEDED TO REDUCE URBAN GUN VIOLENCE

House Chair of the Appropriations Committee Toni Walker joined Governor Dannel P. Malloy as he has directed state criminal justice resources – including state police, corrections, probation, parole and prosecutors – to collaborate with federal and local law enforcement officials in Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven on implementing a program of “Focused Deterrence,” designed to reduce gun violence within those three cities where shootings remain objectionably high.

“While overall crime statewide is down and is at its lowest rate since 1968, gun violence in our major cities remains unacceptably high. Last year, 94 out of 129 homicides statewide occurred in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport – almost all involving guns, almost all involving young men, mostly African American men,” Governor Malloy said. “Young people are killing other young people, often for no discernible reason. As a result, we’re losing young people, and children are growing up without parents. It’s got to stop.”

Rep. Walker, a member of the governing board for the ant-violence initiative, said, “I will be meeting with the U.S. Attorney and Justice Department to discuss curbing urban violence. This is a critical issue that deserves the utmost attention.”

Federal, state and local officials have agreed to a strategy of “Focused Deterrence” that is modeled after successful programs around the country in cities such as Boston, Chicago, Providence and Cincinnati and is already in the process of being implemented in New Haven. The technique is based on the concept that the vast majority of gun crimes are committed by a fairly small number of individuals within each of the cities who are already under the supervision of probation and parole officers and well known to police and prosecutors.

Governor Malloy said that he has directed some of the state’s federal grants towards this initiative, and that state money has been set aside for this purpose as well.

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano remarked, “I want to acknowledge the leadership the Governor and state have already provided to dramatically ingrate state and local resources aimed at ending gun violence. It is making a difference in New Haven, but there is much more work to do.”