Piscopo Op-Ed: Proposed Gun Trafficking Task Force
The issue of gun control has been a subject of major debate during this legislative session. Strong arguments have been presented on both sides of the aisle in hopes of addressing the tragedy in Newtown, and focusing on the broader issue of gun violence prevention in our state.
As a legislative body, the General Assembly created the Bipartisan Task Force earlier this year, with a focus on gun violence prevention, mental health support, and school safety. Committees have held meetings and public hearings on these three subject matters, deliberated as a group, and have made their recommendations to the General Assembly. Proposed legislation will be coming to the floor of the House Chamber for a vote in the near future.
A thoughtful first step in considering public safety is to evaluate where to implement reforms to start curbing the violence immediately. The Gun Control Working Group, one of the sub committees of the Bipartisan Task Force, recommended the reconstitution of the gun trafficking task force, and funding it $1 million. The gun trafficking task force seizes guns that are on the street illegally and inspects weapons from gun buy-back programs.
I applaud and support the bi-partisan effort to renew this task force. That is why I am supporting a bill to fund and staff the statewide firearms trafficking task force. SB 307, An Act Providing Funding for the State-Wide Firearms Trafficking Task Force would appropriate the sum of one million dollars to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, from the General Fund.
I think most will agree that it is imperative that we get illegal firearms out of the hands of criminals by stopping illegal gun trafficking.
During its first year of operation in 2001, the task force had a total of nine officers. The group included state police troopers, two inspectors, a federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms liaison and a local officer. According to the Office of Fiscal Analysis, in 2008 the taskforce was staffed with 1 Lieutenant, 2 Sergeants, 6 Detectives, 1 Local Officer, and 1 Office Assistant.
Over the years the task force has suffered underfunding, resulting in staff cuts. Today, only one state police detective is assigned to the unit and the task force has not had its own line item in the state budget since 2009.
In 2012, the task force is comprised of only one detective who made 14 arrests, carried out 30 investigations, made 21 seizures and conducted a gun show inspection. In comparison, in 2000, the task force conducted 56 investigations, made 35 arrests and seized 379 weapons.
There is a direct cost-benefit ratio that supports the task force is worth the appropriation. When fully funded, this task force has proven to be an effective program against illegal trafficking of firearms. The amount of arrests and weapons confiscated from those who possess them illegally show that this is money worth spending.
This is an immediate step we can take to decrease gun violence by implementing a program with proven results.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns on this or any issue, I would really like to hear from you. Please call my office 800-842-1423 or email john.piscopo@housegop.ct.gov.
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Thank you,
John Piscopo
State Representative, 76th District