Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, December 20, 1993 TAG: 9312200074
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: FAIRFAX LENGTH: Medium
"Johnny's got one thing we didn't have when we were kids," a voice says. "Johnny's got a gun."
The public service announcement is part of a new campaign in several Virginia jurisdictions urging people to call police if they spot a youngster with a gun.
The campaign is called "Kid With a Gun - Call 911." It was designed to educate people about Virginia's new law that makes it illegal for someone younger than 18 to possess a handgun or assault weapon.
In July, Virginia became the first state to make possession of a handgun by a juvenile a crime. The misdemeanor offense carries a maximum of 12 months in jail. A law previously on the books makes it a felony to take a gun to school.
Some jurisdictions, including Fairfax and Prince William counties, are trying to ban the sale of look-alike toy guns to minors.
Virginia's secretary of public safety, O. Randolph Rollins, is touring the state to publicize the "Kid With a Gun" program, which he called a "rallying cry for disarming our children."
Rollins cited new evidence of the growing problem from the state's Department of Criminal Justice Services:
In 1987, nine juveniles were charged with murder with handguns. In 1991, the number increased to 44. Last year it was 38.
The juvenile arrest rate for murder has climbed 186 percent since 1983.
In a survey this year of 109 juveniles convicted of various offenses, 70 percent said they have possessed a gun at some time.
"Juvenile violence, especially when it involves handguns, is the fastest-growing and most serious crime problem we face," Rollins said during a recent stop in Northern Virginia.
Rollins said the juvenile gun law has been overshadowed by another new law limiting handgun purchases to one a month.
Rollins stressed the name of anyone reporting a youngster with a gun will remain confidential and that callers will not have to testify as witnesses in court if an arrest is made.
Making a report gives police probable cause to search someone, Rollins said. In the few states that have tried the program, there have been few instances of hoaxes, he said.
by CNB