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SPECIAL REPORT: Getting Illegal Drugs Off the Street

Updated: Friday, February 22 2013, 06:51 PM EST
COLUMBUS -- Three years after Columbus Police created a gun crimes unit to get illegal weapons off the streets, officers have seized more than eight thousand firearms.

“We are getting assault rifles, shotguns, handguns”, said Sgt. Keith Winn, Columbus Police Gun Crimes Unit, “you name it, and we see it coming through.”

So far this year, police have removed 315 guns.

In 2012, 2,667 weapons were confiscated, they include:

-203 related to assaults
-100 to homicides
-52 connected to robberies

The gun crimes unit also helping Franklin County prosecutors convict more people of gun crimes.  Last year, detectives sent nearly 1,900 cases to court, resulting in a 98% conviction rate.

“We cut back the backlog of cases, from time of arrest, to presentation of grand jury and indictment,” said Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien.

For the entire list of numbers and types of guns seized: Click Here.

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Web Producer: Kellie HannaSPECIAL REPORT: Getting Illegal Drugs Off the Street