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Press Release

U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with community partners, launches Gun Awareness Campaign

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of West Virginia

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, in a partnership with the Wheeling Police Department and the YWCA, is launching a gun awareness campaign, highlighting the risks of purchasing firearms for someone who is banned from having firearms.

“Too many times in West Virginia, someone is charged with a federal crime for purchasing a gun for someone who can’t. Federal prison isn’t worth it. We want everyone to think twice before helping someone commit a gun crime,” Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard.

The three-month campaign kicks off this month with a commercial highlighting the consequences of making an illegal gun purchase. The spot shows a young woman persuaded to purchase a firearm for a boyfriend who isn’t permitted to own a firearm. The ad then flashes ahead to the gun being used to shoot someone and her subsequent arrest.

“Gun violence is very real and adversely affects many individuals and communities.  The Wheeling Police Department is once again proud to team up with our federal partners in a progressive manner, to make a positive impact.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is a multi-faceted approach to curbing gun violence, and I am optimistic those impacts will be felt,” said Chief Shawn Schwertfeger, Wheeling Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2018-GP-BX-0085 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Watch the commercial here: https://youtu.be/1kVe3Xdr8gE.

Updated September 10, 2021

Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Community Outreach