McCarthy: Nearly 1,100 Guns Seized So Far This Year

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago police say that, since Jan. 1, the department has confiscated 1,080 guns from people who shouldn't have them.

Police Supt. Garry McCarthy has started having gun seizure news conferences on a regular basis; and he says he will continue to until laws change to require that the loss, theft or transfer of a gun is reported, and that there be a change in the law so anyone arrested on a gun law violation goes to prison for at least a certain mandatory minimum amount of time.

McCarthy quoted Einstein, who said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results."

The superintendent said society has to change guns laws, and that's what he's trying to do by having the regular news conferences about gun seizures.

At the Englewood District police station, six rifles were displayed on a table next to where McCarthy spoke.

McCarthy said the answer is so simple, and we're making it complicated.

"Seizing guns is not the answer. Preventing the guns from hitting the street and having significant penalties for possession of it is what's going to make a difference. That doesn't exist here," he said.

McCarthy said state lawmakers need to "step up" and change gun laws to make that happen.

He said, if there had been mandatory minimum sentencing for gun law violations in Illinois, over the last two weeks, 15 people in Chicago would either not have been found with a gun, would not have been on the street to shoot someone, or wouldn't have been the victim of gun violence.