McCarthy: More Than 6,500 Illegal Guns Seized So Far This Year
CHICAGO (STMW) -- Chicago Police have seized more than 6,500 illegal firearms so far in 2013, Supt. Garry McCarthy announced Monday.
"We have seen real progress with significant reductions in crime and violence this year, but to achieve the long-term reductions we all expect, we need stronger state and federal laws to keep illegal guns off our streets and out of our communities in the first place," McCarthy said in a statement.
"Even with the best policing in the world, without laws that help keep illegal guns off the streets and laws that provide real punishment for the dangerous criminals who carry them, we'll continue to face an uphill battle," McCarthy said.
Area Central detectives recently recovered illegal guns from suspects during two separate incidents, according to the release.
Officers recently patrolling an area known for violence saw a man in a gangway with a large bulge in his waistband, the statement said. The officers got out of their vehicle to investigate and ordered the suspect to remove his hands from his waistband.
When the man complied, a .38 caliber revolver dropped down his pant leg and fell on the ground, police said. The officers arrested him and recovered the gun.
Another time, officers patrolling the 9th District were arresting a gang member for reckless conduct when a second suspect ran, police said. Officers who followed him saw him throw a silver handgun onto the roof of a garage.
The man was arrested and officers recovered a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun from the roof, police said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
