Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, December 10, 1999

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Jill Homan December 10, 1999 202/225-3061 Congressman Ehrlich Leads MD Delegation on Crime Control Discussion in Richmond Ehrlich, MD Group to Meet With VA Project Exile Officials WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. along with a number of Maryland State Senators, Delegates, law enforcement officials, business and community leaders, and members of the press will meet today with the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, the Virginia U.S. Attorney, and law enforcement officials to discuss Richmond’s successful crime control program, Project Exile. Congressman Ehrlich explained, "Although a relatively new program, Project Exile is based on a simple concept: vigorous and uniform enforcement of existing gun laws. Felons found in possession of guns are prosecuted under harsh federal laws and 'exiled' to out-of-state federal prisons. There is no added burden on already busy state prosecutors and state correctional systems." Currently, Project Exile is working in Richmond, Virginia with support by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, local businesses, and law enforcement. In 1998, the first full year of the program, Richmond’s high murder rate plummeted 33% below the 1997 rate. The situation in Maryland is very different. While national crime rates continue to drop, murder rates in some areas in Maryland have actually increased. Baltimore City had 312 murders last year and one of the highest per capita murder rates in the nation. In 1 998, the Washington suburbs saw a jump of almost 1 8% over 1 997. For the first quarter of this year, the Washington suburbs experienced a 43% increase over the same period in 1998. Ehrlich pointed out, "All of this occurs in a state with some of the toughest gun laws in the country. "I am committed to implementing Project Exile in Maryland and putting an end to Maryland’s violent crime record."