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May 20, 2008 (MINNEAPOLIS) – City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County leaders representing several public agencies today joined together to send a strong, clear, united message to area youth: don’t carry a gun - if you do, there will be consequences.

Working through the Hennepin County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC), city and county officials unveiled a sweeping and aggressive Juvenile Gun Offender Initiative focused on reducing the number of youth carrying guns, through a series of coordinated activities in place for this summer, including:

• New court-sanctioned penalties for youth caught carrying BB, replica, or real guns. These new, stronger, clearer penalties will be consistently applied throughout Hennepin County and involve probation, classroom gun education, and out-of-home-placement. (See specific Juvenile Gun Offender Program guidelines below.)

• Aggressive, proactive street-level policing efforts targeting juveniles with previous gun offenses who have active warrants to get them to turn themselves in.

• Increased supervision of juveniles on probation for prior gun offenses, including through the Minnesota Antiviolence Initiative, where police accompany probation officers on home visits to juveniles on probation.

• Strong, consistent enforcement of the Hennepin County youth curfew law .

• Strong, consistent enforcement of new replica firearms ordinances in cities with such laws.

“The Hennepin County criminal justice system and elected officials from throughout Hennepin County are uniting with our youth to put an end to juvenile gun violence in Hennepin County,” said Minneapolis City Councilmember Paul Ostrow , who chairs the CJCC.

“The bottom line is, kids and guns don't mix,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman . “If you’re a juvenile with a gun in Hennepin County, we want you to know there are clear and swift penalties. But with the penalties, there is education: A 40-hour gun education program that informs the juvenile of the dangers of guns. But let's not forget, the penalties also include time away from home and a substantial amount of hours of work-without-pay.”

“With clear, consistent consequences, we are making it tough for kids to have guns,” Mayor R.T. Rybak said. “We want to make it clear to youth that it’s safer to not carry a gun than to carry a gun. Our main goal isn’t just to arrest more youth, but to reduce the number if youth with guns.”

“Kids with guns are serious business and a major contributor of violent crime throughout Hennepin County,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek . “Through the joint efforts of the entire criminal justice system in Hennepin County – the local police departments, the Sheriff's office, the county attorney, probation and district court – we will be arresting kids with guns and getting them off the streets.”

“Our goal is to get guns – real or fake – out of the hands of kids and off our streets,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan . “Stronger penalties mean that we may not see juveniles ‘graduate’ to more serious offenses.”

“It’s become all too common for kids to carry guns,” Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein said. “This is a unified, consistent and clear message from everyone in the criminal justice system in Hennepin County that whether you’re carrying a real gun or a fake gun - there will be consequences. We want all kids to have a safe summer and this is a start.”

HENNEPIN COUNTY JUVENILE GUN OFFENDER PROGRAM

We want to help bring safety to the streets for all. Carrying or using guns is dangerous and for those under 18, usually illegal. When a juvenile (10-17 years old) is convicted of a gun offense this is what he or she can expect:

1. First time in court and the youth has a BB or replica gun - probation, 40 hours of education on the dangers and effects of guns, 60 hours work without pay (STS), and if the youth does not complete the 100 hours, then 4-6 weeks out of home placement.

2. First time in court and the youth has a real gun or fired a BB gun - probation, 4-6 weeks out of the home, then 40 hours of education on the dangers and effects of guns and if the youth does not complete these requirements, then long term (4-6 months) out of home placement.

3. Already on probation and the youth has a real gun or fired a BB gun - probation, 90 days at Red Wing or similar program, then 40 hours of classes on the dangers and effects of guns and if the youth does not complete the program, then long term (6-12 months) out of home placement.

4. Any youth who has a new gun offense who had a prior gun offense - sent out of home to long term (6-15 months) placement and probation.

If a gun - real or replica - is used to commit a crime, like intentionally pointing a gun at another person or using it in a robbery, the penalties are more severe.

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC) is a forum for city and county policymakers to discuss issues and initiatives that require cooperation across jurisdictional lines and among many parts of the criminal justice system. Established in 1986, the CJCC works to provide a safe and secure environment for the people of Hennepin County by administering a system of justice that is community-centered, fair, timely, efficient, and accessible and that ensures offender accountability to the state, to victims and to the community.

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