BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- Buffalo Police are cracking down to get illegal weapons off the street. They arrested 13 people over the weekend.
It was part of a big push before the 4th of July holiday.
“We do everything we can to be as proactive of a department as we can,” said Lt. Jeff Rinaldo.
Lt. Rinaldo told News 4 that 12 men and one woman were arrested between Friday and Sunday for carrying weapons not licensed to them.
We asked what lead to officers’ discovering those individuals were carrying illegal guns.
“Investigations, calls for service, traffic stops, and crimes that were committed and solved,” said Lt. Rindalo.
He told News 4 most of those suspects are known to police and used the guns while committing a crime. None of the arrests are connected to each other but most are gang related.
Lt. Rinaldo said a lot of illegal guns in the city are brought in from out of state by criminals who buy dozens at a time.
“The department does take hundreds and hundreds of illegal guns off the street,” said Lt. Rinaldo. “We do see times of the year where there are more gun arrests than other times.”
During the summer, when shootings tend to spike, these arrests are even more important.
“No one has the crystal ball of where and when crime will occur,” he said.
The arrests are now being documented on the social media app and website Nextdoor.
“We’re trying to highlight the good work of officers in the City of Buffalo,” said Lt. Rinaldo.
He has started posting every week about the number of arrests, overdoses and when Narcan is used, plus the number of guns seized.
The posts show police received more than 17,000 calls for service in June.
“Just the volume of calls alone was shocking to people,” said Lt. Rinaldo.
The department partnered with Next Door about two years ago. He said the response has been outstanding. It’s an easy way to talk to the public and get feedback.
It also gives people the opportunity to thank officers.
