Platform : Ammunition Law

This ordinance is only part of a far more comprehensive approach we’ve taken to confront violence. Since the 1993 ambush murders of a group of teen- agers, we’ve extended our community policing efforts in some of our city’s toughest neighborhoods, making a visible difference on the streets. We recently approved matching funds for a crime bill grant that should get us close to a 10% increase in police officers. We’ve funded a major crackdown on gangs. The school board this week has approved metal detectors to protect children in schools.

We’ve also pursued a prevention strategy, doubling funding for summer jobs for youth and significantly expanding recreation programs. We’ve worked in partnership with churches, neighborhoods and community organizations to strengthen families and reach out to troubled children.

Ours is not an “either / or” approach. It is “both / and.” The searing impetus of the Halloween killings gave us the courage, as Police Chief Jerry Oliver put it, to “color outside the lines.”