Ad campaign for heavy gun-crime penalties is working well

[WhiteFeather]

Sure would be better for PA to try this concept, rather than passing more useless state firearms laws the DA's and judges just use as a plea bargin tool. To many good concepts to high light in this article


http://wvgazette.com/Opinion/Op-EdCo...s/200804260209
Ad campaign for heavy gun-crime penalties is working well

April 27, 2008
John Chapman

The story the police officer told is music to the ears of those of us involved in the Hard Time for Gun Crime campaign:

When the officer was arresting a defendant for selling drugs to another undercover officer, he searched the defendant for weapons. As his training and experience taught him, he also searched the immediate area. The officer was surprised not to find any firearms; his experience was much like that of his fellow officers: Where there are drugs, there are likely to be guns.

So, just to be sure, he asked the defendant if he had any firearms or other weapons that the officer needed to be concerned about. The defendant's reply was becoming more and more common:

"Are you crazy?" came the reply. "You think I want to do fed time?!"

This is exactly the goal of Hard Time for Gun Crime (www.hardtimeforguncrime.org), a community-based initiative in the 23 counties that are in the jurisdiction of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of West Virginia and supported by the Department of Justice.

The campaign is funded by a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grant through the Charleston Public Safety Council. All 94 U.S. Attorney offices have a campaign of some design, but ours here in Southern West Virginia has been widely recognized for its effectiveness. Others are more low-key or target-specific types of offenders - for example the Northern District of West Virginia's focus on gun-related domestic violence.

But our goal has been to build mass public awareness of the fact that illegal use or illegal possession of guns can get you sent to federal prison where there is no parole.

I bet you've seen the "Hard Time" slogans on billboards and in convenience stores around the district since the campaign began in 2004:


"Hard Time for Gun Crime," highlighting the fact that using a gun to commit a crime to a federal offense, and there is no parole in the federal prison system.


"Free Bling Bling if you take a gun to school," addressing the recurring issue of firearms in school.


"1+1=5," again noting that one crime, plus one criminal with a gun, equals at least five years in federal prison.

But more than advertising campaigns, the Hard Time for Gun Crime board of directors supports numerous community initiatives, especially in schools, and the U.S. Attorney's Office provides training to law enforcement conferences and works to improve communication between local and federal authorities to ensure enforcement of federal gun laws.

The story the police officer told is music to the ears of those of us involved in the Hard Time for Gun Crime campaign:

When the officer was arresting a defendant for selling drugs to another undercover officer, he searched the defendant for weapons. As his training and experience taught him, he also searched the immediate area. The officer was surprised not to find any firearms; his experience was much like that of his fellow officers: Where there are drugs, there are likely to be guns.

So, just to be sure, he asked the defendant if he had any firearms or other weapons that the officer needed to be concerned about. The defendant's reply was becoming more and more common:

"Are you crazy?" came the reply. "You think I want to do fed time?!"

This is exactly the goal of Hard Time for Gun Crime (www.hardtimeforguncrime.org), a community-based initiative in the 23 counties that are in the jurisdiction of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of West Virginia and supported by the Department of Justice.

The campaign is funded by a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grant through the Charleston Public Safety Council. All 94 U.S. Attorney offices have a campaign of some design, but ours here in Southern West Virginia has been widely recognized for its effectiveness. Others are more low-key or target-specific types of offenders - for example the Northern District of West Virginia's focus on gun-related domestic violence.

But our goal has been to build mass public awareness of the fact that illegal use or illegal possession of guns can get you sent to federal prison where there is no parole.

I bet you've seen the "Hard Time" slogans on billboards and in convenience stores around the district since the campaign began in 2004:


"Hard Time for Gun Crime," highlighting the fact that using a gun to commit a crime to a federal offense, and there is no parole in the federal prison system.


"Free Bling Bling if you take a gun to school," addressing the recurring issue of firearms in school.


"1+1=5," again noting that one crime, plus one criminal with a gun, equals at least five years in federal prison.

But more than advertising campaigns, the Hard Time for Gun Crime board of directors supports numerous community initiatives, especially in schools, and the U.S. Attorney's Office provides training to law enforcement conferences and works to improve communication between local and federal authorities to ensure enforcement of federal gun laws.

It's important to understand that ours is not an anti-gun campaign. Far from it.

What we're trying to do is curb gun crime, and the police officer's story suggests we're having success.

We're not opposed to guns. We're opposed to their illegal use, and that's what we're fighting. That's why groups as diverse as the West Virginia Bankers Association and Tudor's Biscuit World; Campe Computer Consulting Services and the West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association; C&H Taxi; Kanawha County Schools Television; and Fas Chek grocers have all partnered in this effort.

The police officer's story is just one example of Hard Time's impact.

Numerous offenders have been prosecuted under the federal gun crime statutes, which can be applied even to state and local offenses, such as manslaughter or domestic violence.

Just ask Matthew Dickel of Parkersburg, sentenced last year to 15 years in federal prison for illegal firearm possession. Although Dickel had earlier been found guilty and sentenced to six years on state charges of involuntary manslaughter and wanton endangerment for killing Leanda Atkinson in 2004, he would only actually serve three years on that state sentence. The 15 years of federal crime will be served consecutively, that is, added to his state sentence.

And what's more, federal gun laws prohibit gun possession by an assortment of folks: an illegal drug user or addict; an illegal immigrant; a convicted felon; anyone dishonorably discharged from the military; anyone convicted of domestic violence; a fugitive; anyone under indictment; anyone subject to a final protection order; anyone adjudicated mentally defective.

Is that really true? Just ask Brian Caldwell, who was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possessing guns after he had been ruled mentally defective.

Or ask his wife, Sharon Caldwell, sentenced to a year and a day for providing him guns, even though she knew he was mentally defective.

Through building awareness among law-abiding citizens - and if the police officer's story is any indication, among law-breaking ones as well - we are helping to make our communities safer places.

Chapman, former president of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Hard Time for Gun Crime board of directors, www.hardtimeforguncrime.org.

It's important to understand that ours is not an anti-gun campaign. Far from it.

What we're trying to do is curb gun crime, and the police officer's story suggests we're having success.

We're not opposed to guns. We're opposed to their illegal use, and that's what we're fighting. That's why groups as diverse as the West Virginia Bankers Association and Tudor's Biscuit World; Campe Computer Consulting Services and the West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association; C&H Taxi; Kanawha County Schools Television; and Fas Chek grocers have all partnered in this effort.

The police officer's story is just one example of Hard Time's impact.

Numerous offenders have been prosecuted under the federal gun crime statutes, which can be applied even to state and local offenses, such as manslaughter or domestic violence.

Just ask Matthew Dickel of Parkersburg, sentenced last year to 15 years in federal prison for illegal firearm possession. Although Dickel had earlier been found guilty and sentenced to six years on state charges of involuntary manslaughter and wanton endangerment for killing Leanda Atkinson in 2004, he would only actually serve three years on that state sentence. The 15 years of federal crime will be served consecutively, that is, added to his state sentence.

And what's more, federal gun laws prohibit gun possession by an assortment of folks: an illegal drug user or addict; an illegal immigrant; a convicted felon; anyone dishonorably discharged from the military; anyone convicted of domestic violence; a fugitive; anyone under indictment; anyone subject to a final protection order; anyone adjudicated mentally defective.

Is that really true? Just ask Brian Caldwell, who was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possessing guns after he had been ruled mentally defective.

Or ask his wife, Sharon Caldwell, sentenced to a year and a day for providing him guns, even though she knew he was mentally defective.

Through building awareness among law-abiding citizens - and if the police officer's story is any indication, among law-breaking ones as well - we are helping to make our communities safer places.

Chapman, former president of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Hard Time for Gun Crime board of directors, www.hardtimeforguncrime.org.

[Brown-Bear]

Wating for the " Why keep guns away from anyone"? " Isn't everyone allowed to defend themselves....." blah, blah, blah crowd.

Good post my man, I hope one day Pa realizes that its criminals and not LAGO's that need to be punished.

Dave

[RoyJackson]

Several years ago, the NRA initiated Project Exile which was very similar to the Hard Time for Gun Crime campaign (mandatory time for crimes commited with a firearm).

I know it was successful in Richmond, VA.

When the NRA approached mayor (Fast Eddie) Rendell to set up Project Exile in Phlly..well, he just wasn't interested.
Philly's crime problems are directly related to Rendell's incompetency.