Thomas MacMillan Photo
CZ 52 (left) and Kel Tec (right).
On March 6, cops grabbed a 1950s-era CZ 52 Czech handgun. Two days later, they picked up a newer silver and black Kel Tec 9mm luger. Those and 90 other guns comprise a record-setting haul in recovered guns for the first three months of the year.
Police announced Tuesday that officers recovered 92 guns during January, February, and March of 2011. That’s 12 more than they picked up during the same period last year.
The uptick is the result of increased cooperation with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with coordination with surrounding towns, and an emphasis of traffic stops in “high predictability” areas, said Mayor John DeStefano.
Mayor DeStefano.
He spoke Tuesday afternoon on the third floor of police headquarters at 1 Union Ave. On a table next to the podium lay 11 guns, including three shotguns, an enormous .44 magnum, and an antique, two-shot, black powder pistol.
Guns have created 46 non-fatal shooting victims so far this year, and nine homicides, DeStefano said. A high percentage of those guns are stolen, he said.
The department has been working closely with ATF to track where guns have been coming from, he said. Assistant Chief John Velleca said New Haven has four officers assigned to an ATF taskforce, the most in the state.
The mayor said the department has also been focusing on patrolling performing traffic stops in New Haven’s “crime corridor,” where such stops are likely to yield guns.
Chief Limon (left) and Mayor DeStefano.
Chief Frank Limon, who had a Glock at his waist, said the department’s K‑9 units (like Bitang) have also been helpful in getting guns.
Limon said most of the guns are from home or gun-store burglaries within Connecticut. In response to that discovery, the department has begun bi-weekly meetings with surrounding towns to share notes about gun thefts and shootings, Velleca said. For instance, police in a neighboring town might tell New Haven cops that a 9mm gun had been stolen, and New Haven cops might be able to link that to 9mm shell casings found at recent shootings in the city.
Assistant Chief Velleca.
Velleca said that kind of cross-referencing had turned up some links, but said he couldn’t talk about that any further while the cases are under investigation.
After the press conference, Velleca presented an outline of what happens to guns that police get off the streets: First, the gun is fingerprinted and swabbed for DNA. Then it’s taken into storage and eventually tested at a state lab, where ballistic evidence is recorded. That evidence is cross-referenced with a database to see if the gun has been used in any crimes. If a match is found, the gun is stored as evidence. If not, it will eventually be destroyed.
DeStefano said handgun recovery will remain a top priority for the police department for the remainder of the year.
