The Prince George’s County Council’s gun violence study workgroup held a meeting Wednesday to discuss recent initiatives to reduce gun violence across the county.
The 12-month workgroup was formed in response to growing community concerns about gun violence in Prince George’s County and across the nation, according to District 7 county council member and workgroup co-chair Krystal Oriadha. County officials highlighted recent efforts to limit illegal weapons and pinpoint repeat offenders of gun crimes across the county.
“This is a really crucial issue that has hit Prince George’s County,” Perry Paylor, the Prince George’s County deputy state’s attorney and fellow workgroup co-chair said during the meeting. “We’ve really done great work.”
Zachary O’Lare, Prince George’s County Police’s deputy chief, highlighted the importance of PGPD’s nonfatal shooting unit in arresting perpetrators of gun crimes. The unit was established in March, O’Lare added.
[Prince George’s County Council hopes to make HIV resources more equitable]
Previously, the department did not have a dedicated unit for nonfatal shootings. Investigators were forced to divert their attention to other crimes, O’Lare said.
“We recognize that the best practices across the nation have been to centralize a nonfatal shooting squad,” O’Lare said during Wednesday’s meeting. “We put the sole focus for these investigators to be investigating these crimes [and] identifying our prolific shooters.”
The police department also hopes to focus on identifying guns used in multiple crimes, according to O’Lare.
To achieve this, PGPD organizes guns based on a tier system, O’Lare said. He said guns linked to multiple crimes are considered a higher priority than firearms that were used once.
The tier system helps the department solve open cases and close older cases, O’Lare said, as police can link guns used in different cases.
Paylor said that gun violence often stems from the illegal possession and transportation of firearms. About 75 to 80 percent of all illegal guns seized are during traffic stops, Paylor added.
[PGCPS school board discusses bus driver shortages, transportation improvements]
During Wednesday’s meeting, several county officials also emphasized the importance of reducing repeated offenses from convicted people across the county.
“I always say a lot of these kids aren’t bad kids,” Tyrone Collington Sr., Bladensburg’s police chief said. “They make bad decisions and to have that second opportunity to get it right is very impactful.”
Aisha Braveboy, the Prince George’s County state’s attorney, touted her office’s program which aids individuals convicted of illegally possessing a gun.
The program helps people transform their lives, Braveboy said, as returning residents can opt to attend school or enter the workforce.
“The vast majority of those who enter the program finish it,” Braveboy said during the meeting. “None of them have returned back as defendants in our system.”
Moving forward, Oriadha emphasized the importance of the workgroup and intervening in gun violence cases before additional lives are lost.
“I think the time is before they’ve made that unthinkable mistake for themselves that impacts a family and impacts their family and their lives,” Oriadha said during the meeting.
