Police put focus on weapons profiling

When Newark Detectives Raul Diaz and Donald Stabile arrive at the scene of a fatal shooting, they sidestep the central investigation, leaving that to homicide detectives, and zero in on the gun.

In a deeper analysis than has been done previously, they will look at the weapon's history, origin and who has used it -- all part of a two-prong strategy that includes gun buybacks to reduce shootings in the city.

"Over the last three years, we have put a strong foundation for the results we have now," Newark Mayor Cory Booker said at a news conference yesterday, where he announced the strategy with Police Director Garry McCarthy and officials from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Essex County Sheriff's Office. "Now we are taking it to the next level."

In the weapons investigation, Diaz and Stabile will examine each gun that comes into the police department's possession, whether through a crime or confiscated during a search.

They will also team up with two assistant prosecutors, who will build cases for trial, said Stabile and Booker.

Through these deeper investigations, detectives will be better able to understand gun trafficking patterns and potentially stop the flow of weapons into the city, McCarthy said. They will also identify crime-prone areas and people who have a history of violence with weapons.

McCarthy said the police department is forming a database with profiles on each gun confiscated. Backing up the investigators will be stiffer state penalties against people who use and illegally sell guns, Booker said.

"We will hold these people to a greater accountability," he said.

In addition to the weapons investigations, police and other law enforcement agencies in Essex County have partnered with several churches to hold "Gun Amnesty Buyback" days starting Nov. 11. People can bring in a weapon, no questions asked, and receive about $200.

For the buybacks, the prosecutor's office and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas or HIDTA, a federal program, is providing $50,000, McCarthy said.

CONTINUED 1 | 2 Next