New push in Santa Clara County for full-time gun task force to combat rising violence

A mourner holds a sign during a vigil for the nine Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail yard shooting victims at San Jose City Hall on May 27, 2021 in San Jose, California.
A mourner holds a sign during a vigil for the nine Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail yard shooting victims at San Jose City Hall on May 27, 2021 in San Jose, California. Photo credit Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – In the face of soaring gun crimes, Santa Clara County law enforcement agencies are pushing for a measure to create a dedicated gun task force.

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It’s an effort to coordinate the work of law enforcement agencies throughout the county as they struggle to manage the growing problem.

"This would be a dedicated team of police officers from the various state and federal agencies who would focus full-time on disarming prohibited peoples – such as felons and domestic abusers," said Marisa McKeown, Supervising Deputy District Attorney with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.

This proposal would make it so the county would have, for the first time, dedicated officers to gun crimes, and would boost the D.A.'s efforts as well.

This idea isn't new, but the renewed efforts are due to the significant increase in guns being used in crimes in the county.

"We are seeing record numbers of guns being pulled out of cars and houses," said McKeown. "We are seeing machine guns being driven around in ordinary passenger vehicles and pulled in road rage incidents."

"It is not okay, and we have to do something more quickly," she said.

The county itself has been grappling with mass shooting events in recent years, including the tragic VTA mass shooting in 2021 in San Jose.

"This is really in response to our community asking for more to be done," she said.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images