(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today held the first meeting of the Ohio Attorney General's Violent Crime with Guns Advisory Group. The advisory group was established to focus efforts on removing guns from repeat violent criminals and includes members representing local, state, and federal law enforcement, prosecutors, gun rights advocates, and victims advocates.
“The reality is that you are seeing the same people day after day after day committing violent crime with guns," said Attorney General DeWine. "We need to get serious about going after the criminals with guns. The repeat violent offenders, who shouldn't have guns in the first place and who are most likely to cause violence with a gun in the future, have to be our target.”
The advisory group's goal is to provide guidance to law enforcement and the Ohio General Assembly and how to best prevent gun crimes and keep repeat offenders in prison.
According to data from the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification (BCI), arrests of repeat firearm offenders have increased 1400% in the past 40 years. Among those under the age of 20, BCI reports a 236% increase in persons with multiple firearm arrests over the past ten years.
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Media Contacts:
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Dan Tierney 614-466-3840