NEW EFFORT TO FIGHT GUN CRIMES IS SMART

A common complaint of crime fighting -- from arrest to prosecution --
is that the process is reactive rather than proactive.

The reactive nature of the business is understandable considering the
volume of cases and the demands placed on often-understaffed police
departments and prosecutor's offices.

But simply arresting and prosecuting criminals only continues a
cycle. It's the proactive approaches to law enforcement that truly
make a difference -- attacking the root of a community's problems,
not just the offshoot.

Though oftentimes overlooked, this proactive approach is one that
local law enforcement continues to use with success.

Daviess County will soon become the second county in the state,
joining Jefferson, to institute a partnership between local, state
and federal law enforcement agencies aimed at enforcing gun laws.

"Project Backfire" will begin in June and will allow for swifter and
more severe punishment of felonies that involve the use of a gun. The
Daviess County attorney's, commonwealth's attorney's and U.S.
attorney's offices have all agreed to participate.

Whenever a felony is committed that involves the possession of a gun,
a review will be conducted. The process will look at factors such as
the person's criminal history, the offense and applicable state and
federal laws.

Commonwealth's Attorney Jay Wethington has consistently taken a tough
stand against the use of weapons in commission of a crime, and for
good reason. While the use of guns in crimes has steadily declined
since the 1994 passage of the Brady Law, the National Crime
Victimization Survey still reported that slightly more than 533,000
violent crimes were committed in 2000 by a person carrying a firearm.

With this new project, prosecution will be divided between state and
federal courts, depending on where the case can be adjudicated most
quickly, and where the stiffest penalties are available.

This type of local, state and federal cooperation is also being used
in the fight against methamphetamine. Nearly two years ago,
"Operation United Front" was unveiled by former U.S. Attorney Steve
Reed as an effort to use federal resources to slow down the
burgeoning drug trade.

While progress has been slow, the positive effects of that effort can
be felt. A field office for federal prosecutions was opened in
Paducah, and the number of meth-related federal prosecutions in the
district went from 10 percent to more than half of all cases.

The mere threat of prosecution in the federal system, which has stiff
sentencing guidelines and no parole, is enough to serve as a
deterrent to many would-be drug traffickers.

As with the meth initiative, the goal of "Project Backfire" is as
much about sending a message as it is sending people to jail. If you
commit a felony in Daviess County while carrying a gun, the price
will be steep.