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Department of Justice Logo 

U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney
Northern District of California

 

11th Floor, Federal Building
450 Golden Gate Avenue, Box 36055
San Francisco, California  94102

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

 

Tel: (415) 436-7200
Fax: (415) 436-7234

 

December 12, 2003

The United States Attorney's Office announced today a substantial increase in the number of gun prosecutions in the Northern District of California.  Over the last two years, gun prosecutions have increased 30 percent over the last two years, making the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco the leading federal prosecutor's office in California in the number of prosecutions of gun cases. The announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office came in connection with a statement issued last week by United States Attorney General John Ashcroft discussing the Justice Department's Project Safe Neighborhoods program, an initiative between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and community workers to reduce gun violence through the prosecution of gun crime.

U.S. Attorney Kevin V. Ryan attributed the success of the program to a successful partnership between the U.S. Attorney's Office and federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the San Francisco, Oakland and Richmond Police Departments, as well as the San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Contra Costa County District Attorney's offices. 

"Gun violence has a real potential to destroy our communities," U.S. Attorney Ryan said.  "We are strongly committed to use all tools available to the federal government to make our streets safer by taking guns out of the hands of convicted felons.  Our increase in gun prosecutions under the Project Safe Neighborhoods program demonstrates this commitment." 

Under the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, felons who are found in possession of weapons may be prosecuted federally and thus be subject to the longer sentences available in the federal system.  The program also includes community outreach efforts such as the collaboration with community groups and agencies that focus on truancy abatement, conflict resolution and gun abatement, and youth outreach and intervention groups.

Nationally, the increased emphasis on gun crimes has led to a striking reduction in crime.  Between 1999-2000 and 2001-2001, the violent crime rate fell 21 percent.  And approximately 130,000 fewer Americans were victims of gun crime in 2001-2002 than in 1999-2000, according to the Department of Justice.

In addition to increasing substantially the number of gun prosecutions by 30 percent, the Northern District of California's Project Safe Neighborhoods team has sought creative ways to pursue challenging cases with the use of DNA evidence.  This office is the first to use DNA evidence for firearms violations.  In two recent cases, the United States Attorney's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the San Francisco Police Department have taken samples of DNA from handguns that were recovered from an area where officers had pursued fleeing suspects, and then scientifically compared the samples to DNA samples taken from the suspects pursuant to federal search warrants.  In both cases, there were positive matches.  This innovative practice of using DNA has led to the successful prosecutions of defendants who would ordinarily not be prosecuted for lack of proof.  

A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney's Office's website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.  All press inquiries to the U.S. Attorney's Office should be directed to Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Jacobs at (415) 436-7181.