Talking Points: The battle to keep guns off Minnesota's streets
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The battle to keep guns off our streets is being fought by every community in the state. In this week's Talking Points, we're taking a look at the successes and obstacles faced by the City of St. Paul.
In a St. Paul Police property room, there are more than 1,800 stored boxes each holding a recovered gun. Police are increasingly seeing some as homemade "ghost guns."
Commander Jeff Stiff, with the gang unit, showed some of the "ghost guns" that appear identical to a St. Paul police officer's service revolver.
"There is no serial number, right? There's no way to track this firearm. It functions exactly like a Glock," Stiff said.
Still, the department's ASPIRE unit has made progress. Guns recovered year to date have almost doubled, shots fired calls are down 40%, and crimes involving a firearm are down 36%.
"It's hard to call it a success when we still people still being harmed by gunfire in our community," said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, "but we do have some significant signs that our work is making a difference."
St. Paul just passed the strictest gun storage ordinance in the state.
"The first step to reducing gun violence is trying to make do everything that we can to keep guns from falling into the wrong hands," Carter said.
However, "ghost guns" keep coming. Since last year, the department has doubled the amount seized.
"Now people are able to assemble and create firearms through non-traditional means," St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said. "In addition to the firearms that are being bought on the illegal market, [guns] are being stolen from people that legally have them."
Long-time community leaders like Rev. Darryl Spence say the emphasis needs to go beyond policing.
"For years, we wanted to blame this person or that person. I think the blame now lies solely in the home. I know I'm gonna get beat up for saying that, but we need to get our homes back, we need to get families back together," Spence said.
Community activists like Miki Lewis-Frost point to the need for facilities where at-risk and young offenders can be placed and rehabilitated.
"We have to be able to give these kids the housing that they need, a lot of kids that I run into are homeless," Lewis-Frost said.
Talking Points airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., live on CBS News Minnesota.
NOTE: Below is a preview of Talking Points presented on "The 4."
Talking Points airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., live on CBS News Minnesota.