Stockton Police Department Has Seized 574 Firearms So Far This Year
STOCKTON (CBS13) - The Stockton Police Department has seized 574 firearms since the beginning of the year, the department announced on Friday.
The police department "is specifically targeting violent criminals and gang members who use guns in our community," Officer Joe Silva said in a press release.
In between responding to calls for service, patrol officers are making traffic stops and contacting people daily in neighborhoods and seizing firearms. The Community Response Team and the County Wide Gang Task Force, through their daily investigations, are conducting residential searches and are contacting the most violent criminals and gang members, which results in the additional seizure of firearms, Silva said.
"The entire Stockton Police Department is committed to combating gun violence in our city," Chief Eric Jones said. "These results are just the beginning, and we will continue to actively pursue and arrest anyone who uses firearms as a way to injure or intimidate people."
The guns were confiscated during traffic stops, search warrants, individual contacts, or pursuant to court orders, Silva said.
The gun seizures haven't slowed deadly shootings in the city, however. There have already been 46 homicides in Stockton this year, well ahead of last year's record for homicides with 56.
