Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, July 21, 1999

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 DIATE RELEASE: July 21, 1999 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 CONTACT: Jill Homan 202/225-3061 CONGRESSMAN EHRLICH CALLS ON TI.S. ATTORNEY TO ENFORCE FEDERAL GUN LAWS Ehrlich Cites Local Cities ’ Program As Mode! WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. has called for tougher enforcement of existing gun laws by encouraging the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland to implement a successful program currently in place in Richmond, Norfolk, and Rochester. In a letter to U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, the Honorable Lynn Battaglia, Congressman Ehrlich cited, “Maryland has some of the strongest gun laws in the country. Unfortunately, enforcement of those laws is not uniform throughout the local subdivisions.” He commended U.S. Attorney Battaglia for initiating Operation Cease Fire in the Baltimore area, which has resulted in the arrest and conviction of dangerous violent felons caught in possession of firearms. This success, however, is overshadowed by the fact that only a small percentage of cases in Baltimore City and the surrounding areas are forwarded for prosecution. Ehrlich elaborated, “I strongly believe if laws are to be respected, punishment for violations must be adequate and certain. While Operation Cease Fire provides adequate punishment, the element of certain punishment is missing.” A similar program, supported by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, is currently in place Richmond, Virginia, and has been implemented in Rochester, NY, and Norfolk, VA, and several other American cities. Since its inception in Richmond, the city’s high murder rate has plummeted; from November 1997 to January 1999, the murder rate decreased 40%. Further, of the individuals indicted on federal gun violations, approximately 74% have been held without bail pending trial. In the program’s first year, 53% of the individuals indicted were sentenced to an average of 55 months without parole in a federal institution. Congressman Ehrlich explained, “Many attribute the success of these programs to two premises: Criminals know if they are a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, they will be prosecuted, and, if convicted, they will spend a long time in federal prison.” (more)