Solutions to gun violence from the front lines

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Updated: 1/31 11:43 pm
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville is on the front line in the fight against gun violence. At its worst, the River City was the murder capital of Florida. Times have changed, but perceptions have not.

Action News Paige Kelton sat down with Sheriff John Rutherford and asked if there was still a perception that Jacksonville had a disproportionate amount of gun violence. Sheriff Rutherford says the majority of guns used in gun-related crimes are coming from law abiding citizens.

"Ninety percent of gun related crimes are committed by guns that have been stolen. More than 1400 guns stolen in just one year and it's because people don't store them properly," Sheriff Rutherford said.

Getting the guns out of the hands of criminals is the idea behind Sheriff Rutherford's gun bounty.

Citizens can turn in people with illegal weapons and get a $1,000 reward. So far, the bounty has taken 200 guns off the streets. But the bounty only gets the guns after they've fallen into the wrong hands.

The sheriff says if we want to get serious about stopping gun violence, we need to get serious about background checks.

"If you buy a gun from a private citizen, you don't have to have a background check and that is where the loophole is," said Sheriff Rutherford.

The sheriff wants to close that loophole using a purchase permit. It's a way for law enforcement to track who is buying and selling guns. The sheriff says, only then, will we have a shot at keeping guns in the hands of responsible gun owners.

"There is always going to be bad guys out there and I want people to be able to defend themselves from the bad guys 'cause I can't be everywhere," said Sheriff Rutherford.

Friday night, on Action news we talk to the sheriff about assault weapons. Will a new ban make local families any safer? His response may surprise you Friday on Action News at 11 p.m. on CBS47.

VIsit the JSO web site for more information on the Gun Bounty initiative.
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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Action News Jacksonville

gsosbee - 2/2/2013 12:49 PM
0 Votes
In the 'Age of Madness' our people turn on one another because violence is the accepted norm for resolving differences and because hatred and killing are popular themes authenticated by an omnipresent public preoccupation with such barbarity. See my reports where I define the living dead and I identify elements of the insanity (often in the CJIS) that disturbingly pervade our culture and that irreversibly shape our future. http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/story/age-madness-critical-review-fbicia-operations/9375 http://www.newciv.org/nl/newslog.php/_v194/__show_article/_a000194-000198.htm http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/statement.html http://archives-2001-2012.cmaq.net/fr/node/30685.html http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display/460988/index.php http://www.newciv.org/pic/nl/artpic/194/000194-000454.jpg http://sosbeevfbi.ning.com/profiles/blogs/mankind-at-war-with-self http://sosbeevfbi.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-fbicia-turn-civil-society

nativejax - 2/1/2013 3:00 PM
0 Votes
Five surgeons from big cities are discussing who makes the Best patients to operate on. The first surgeon, from New York , says, 'I like to see accountants on my operating table because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered.' The second, from Chicago , responds, 'Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded.' The third surgeon, from Dallas , says, 'No, I really think librarians are the best, everything inside them is in alphabetical order.' The fourth surgeon, from Los Angeles chimes in: 'You know, I like construction workers...Those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over.' But the fifth surgeon, from Washington, DC shut them all up when he observed: 'You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no b@lls, no brains, and no spine.. Plus, the head and the azz are interchangeable.'

Gunny48 - 2/1/2013 1:08 PM
0 Votes
Purchase permit = registration = que? no se!

Realchange - 2/1/2013 10:22 AM
3 Votes
Should asked him about the fully automatic weapon that was stolen out of an unmarked police car awhile back. Police running around with fully automatic weapons like the military and when it's stolen no comment that kind stuff then. The 2nd amendment is not about hunting rights, home protection rights. It is about keeping the government honest and fearful of we the people. Yes some crazy people do evil things sometimes, however, many people do not realize how much freedoms we have lost in the name of security and now the government wants to take away yet another Constitutional right. Other rights lost already include prohibiting jury trials by citizens for citizens when the government intentionally willfully wrongs people. This includes veterans and others. Jury trials are provided for the in the Constitution of the US to prevent corruption but the government ignores it. Strip searching people as if they are peon or serfs. You will consent to a computer strip search record of your person or you will be searched physically or arrested. We used laugh at countries that did this now we do it and no one better complain or else. Freedom of speech is virtually gone as well: You can no longer protest where the secret service is provding security. That means if you want protest some bad action by the President or other high profile memebers of the government you will be charged with a felony. Recent rulings by the Supreme Court stating police do not need search warrants to enter you home. They simply have to knock and said they heard something anything they deem suspcious. Now you being told giving up weapons will make school children safer. We won't put guards in schools for your children. That would truly keep them safe thats only for the elite of America. Your childrens only value is to be targets that get the agenda passed.People should also be paying attention to police departments getting military drones, military full auto weapons, military vechs.

greyaxe - 2/1/2013 7:43 AM
4 Votes
A few things to ponder about Sheriff Rutherfords purchase permit. Will this not be a violation of the Florida State firearms preemption law? What would be the cost to implement this defacto registration scheme? Would this not pull officers off the street or would he need to hire additional civilian employees? How would he implement this when he is laying officers off in order to meet his budget? What would the cost of this permit to purchase be, would it not make it even more difficult for low-income families that feel the need to have a firearm for protection? How quickly would this permit be processed? Would this include the National Backfround check? If not what is the true purpose, to restrict the ability of the people to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights? Would this end up being a way to refuse people that would pass the national background from being able to purchase firearms? Look at Los Angeles and New York, how many permits to purchase have they issued in the last 2 decades? Or is this just a scheme to try to boost the amount of money the sheriff's department can recieve? Sheriff Rutherford, you started this interview saying you were a big supporter of the 2nd Amendment, somehow I think the comments you made during this interview give lie to that statement.

Truthseeker - 2/1/2013 4:46 AM
2 Votes
I'm sorry, but I had to post again. Sheriff Rutherford said, "Ninety percent of gun related crimes are committed by guns that have been stolen." I am sure he meant, "...WITH guns that have been stolen." If he meant, "...by guns that have been stolen." he needs to explain how anyone gets out of the local gun shows alive. With the hundreds and possibly thousands of guns that are present at the local shows, there must be at least one, and maybe more, nefarious ones lurking in the mix.

Truthseeker - 2/1/2013 4:36 AM
3 Votes
I guess Sheriff Rutherford is under the impression that the criminals will partake in a new "background check" or "purchase permit" when he has already said, "Ninety percent of gun related crimes are committed by guns that have been stolen." I have a feeling that the criminals will not care anymore about the new laws than they do the old laws. Just a guess...
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