Bernalillo County D.A. unveils anti-gun initiative for schools

Community has mixed reaction about initiative.

Community has mixed reaction about initiative.

STATE, COUNTY CLERKS AND MUNICIPAL CLERKS OFFICES. REACTION TONIGHT FOLLOWING THE UNVEILING OF A SCHOOL ANTI-GANG INITIATIVE IN BERNALILLO COUNTY. ANCHOR SASHA LENNINGER JOINS US LIVE FROM WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL. ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, DOUG, THIS SCHOOL DEALING WITH A DEADLY SHOOTING THAT KILLED 13 YEAR OLD BENNIE HARGROVE. THAT ANTI-GUN INITIATIVE HOPES TO PREVENT TRAGEDIES LIKE THAT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. BUT NOT EVERYONE THINKS IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. THE DANGER OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IS PART OF THE REASON THAT WE CHOSE TO HOMESCHOOL, AND IT DEFINITELY MAKES ME FEEL SAFER. ONE VIEWER WRITING, I THOUGHT SCHOOLS WERE ALREADY ANTI-GUN ZONES. LET’S HOPE CRIMINALS WILL ABIDE BY THE SIGNS AND NOT CARRY FIREARMS ONTO SCHOOL GROUNDS. SURE, THE SIGNS MIGHT HELP A LITTLE BIT, BUT I THINK THE DEEPER QUESTION IS LIMITING ACCESS TO GUNS. SOMEONE ELSE WRITING OUR STATE CONSTITUTION ALSO OUTLINES LAWS THAT WE SHOULDN’T BE BREAKING. A SIGN WILL STOP WHO BAD PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO DO BAD THINGS. THIS AFTER BERNALILLO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAM BREGMAN AND COMMUNITY LEADERS UNVEILED AN ANTI-GAY GUN INITIATIVE TO STOP GUNS FROM GETTING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS. NO GUN IN ANY WAY IN YOUR POSSESSION, PERIOD. NO GUNS ON YOUR PERSON. NO GUNS IN YOUR BACKPACK. NO GUNS IN YOUR LOCKER. NO GUNS AT ALL. HARGROVE’S GRANDMOTHER IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS. I THINK THAT IT’S GOING TO BE VERY PRODUCTIVE IS SETTING UP THAT MESSAGE THAT WE NEED HELP AND WE’RE GOING TO GET HELP AND WE’RE GOING TO PROVIDE HELP. THE INITIATIVE WOULD PLACE THESE SIGNS AT ALL SCHOOLS WITHIN THE COUNTY, INCLUDING CHARTER AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HELP EDUCATE STUDENTS ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THE DANGERS OF GUNS AND IF CAUGHT WITH A GUN ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, YOU WILL BE ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH A FELONY NO MATTER IF YOU ARE AN ADULT OR A JUVENILE. IF YOU’RE A JUVENILE IN NEW MEXICO, YOU CAN GO TO CHILDREN’S COURT. SO THE BASICALLY THE SAME LAWS APPLY, BUT PUNISHMENTS ARE DIFFERENT. GENERALLY, THE MOST YOU COULD GET WOULD BE A COMMITMENT TO THE CYFD DEPARTMENT UNTIL YOU ARE 21. HE SAYS THIS IS NOT ANYTHING NEW. THERE ARE ALREADY LAWS ON THE BOOKS THAT MAKE IT A FELONY. IN FOURTH DEGREE FELONY TO CARRY A GUN ON SCHOO PROPERTY OR AT ANY LOCATION WHERE THERE IS A SCHOOL EVENT. SO IS DOUBLING DOWN ON BY SAYING WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE ENFORCE ALREADY EXIST. NOW, AS FOR THOSE SIGNS, D.A. BORGMAN SAYS THEY SHOULD BE INSTALLED AT ALL OF THE SCHOOLS BY THE END OF THE SUMMER OR BEFORE THE START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. LEAVE IT TO WASHINGTON. MIDDLE SCHOOL ALUM SASHA LENNINGER KOAT APP ACTION 7 NEWS NEWS, BACK TO YOU. UNDER CURRENT LA

Bernalillo County D.A. unveils anti-gun initiative for schools

Community has mixed reaction about initiative.

This school year, there have been 13 incidents involving guns on an Albuquerque Public Schools campus.APS Superintendent Scott Elder said 13 expulsions resulted from those 13 incidents.This comes as Bernalillo County District Attorney San Bregman and other community leaders unveiled a new anti-gun initiative Wednesday.There are three main components of the initiative:EnforcementInformationalEducationAs part of the enforcement aspect, Bregman announcing any adult or student, even if under the age of 18, will be charged with a felony if they are caught with a gun on a school campus. That includes being armed with a gun within 1,000 feet of a campus. It is prohibited by state and federal law.As part of the information section, signs reminding everyone that schools are a gun-free zone will be placed at all APS schools, including private and charter schools. It includes public service announcements on social media and television reminding students of the rules. In addition, Bregman said, messages through social media and email will be sent to APS families to remind them that campuses are a gun-free zone."This is the way it is. There is no allowance, there's no excuse, there is zero tolerance and every school in this county hopefully in the very near future, and that takes a lot of work but we are going to get it done, is going to have at least one of these signs at an entryway or exit," Bregman said.Third is the education part of the initiative."Law enforcement, this office, APS, this fall will launch a curriculum, we will develop a curriculum and launch it, where we basically put cops and prosecutors in the classroom, teaching students about the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on guns and all the problems they cause," Bregman said.Bregman reminds everyone that there is no excuse for having a firearm on school grounds and there will be a zero-tolerance policy for it.Community leaders ask everyone to do their part in properly securing their firearms and speaking out if their student is going through a mental health crisis or if they hear about any school threats."I want to make sure that the kids that live in my neighborhood, the kids that are now the children of the people I grew up with, do not start their life as a felon. Do not start your life on the wrong path and just bringing a gun to school will do that," Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada said.There are roughly 150 APS schools and each will have one of the signs by the time the new school year starts. Bregman said private and charter schools should have them as well.

BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. —

This school year, there have been 13 incidents involving guns on an Albuquerque Public Schools campus.

APS Superintendent Scott Elder said 13 expulsions resulted from those 13 incidents.

This comes as Bernalillo County District Attorney San Bregman and other community leaders unveiled a new anti-gun initiative Wednesday.

There are three main components of the initiative:

Enforcement
Informational
Education

As part of the enforcement aspect, Bregman announcing any adult or student, even if under the age of 18, will be charged with a felony if they are caught with a gun on a school campus. That includes being armed with a gun within 1,000 feet of a campus. It is prohibited by state and federal law.

As part of the information section, signs reminding everyone that schools are a gun-free zone will be placed at all APS schools, including private and charter schools. It includes public service announcements on social media and television reminding students of the rules. In addition, Bregman said, messages through social media and email will be sent to APS families to remind them that campuses are a gun-free zone.

"This is the way it is. There is no allowance, there's no excuse, there is zero tolerance and every school in this county hopefully in the very near future, and that takes a lot of work but we are going to get it done, is going to have at least one of these signs at an entryway or exit," Bregman said.

Third is the education part of the initiative.

"Law enforcement, this office, APS, this fall will launch a curriculum, we will develop a curriculum and launch it, where we basically put cops and prosecutors in the classroom, teaching students about the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on guns and all the problems they cause," Bregman said.

Bregman reminds everyone that there is no excuse for having a firearm on school grounds and there will be a zero-tolerance policy for it.

Community leaders ask everyone to do their part in properly securing their firearms and speaking out if their student is going through a mental health crisis or if they hear about any school threats.

"I want to make sure that the kids that live in my neighborhood, the kids that are now the children of the people I grew up with, do not start their life as a felon. Do not start your life on the wrong path and just bringing a gun to school will do that," Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada said.

There are roughly 150 APS schools and each will have one of the signs by the time the new school year starts. Bregman said private and charter schools should have them as well.

Bernalillo County D.A. unveils anti-gun initiative for schools

Community has mixed reaction about initiative.

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