Illegal Guns and Project Exile

The Issue

• We’ve heard about the problem with illegal guns in the Rochester area, and last year, three Rochester police officers were shot responding to a domestic violence call.

  Need to know looks at the problem of illegal guns, and profiles Project Exile- a new federal program to gets gun dealers out of town and guns, off the street.

The Stories

• MARKETPLACE

How much of a problem do illegal guns pose? Who buys them? How are they getting in to the community?

We talk to one officer who survived a shooting. Plus we’ll trace the gun that shot three local officers and see and a roomful of guns---all illegal, that were once on Rochester’s streets.

Matt Cummings reports.

• PROJECT EXILE

  Rochester follows a pilot program from Virginia that "EXILES" convicted gun dealers to different states. It takes a lot of teamwork, as federal and local authorities give up turf to get rid of illegal firearms. Is it working? We find out.

  Jane Flasch reports.

• WHO NEEDS IT?

  Did we really need a federal program to keep guns off the streets? We profile one tough judge- with a reputation for sending would be plea bargains to jail. And we ask—why did it take so long for authorities to get tough on this growing problem?

  Gary Walker reports.

The Panel

• Member of the U.S. Marshall’s Office and Monroe County District Attorney Howard Relin.

The Journalists 

WXXI TV News and Public Affairs Staff:
Renee Julian, Gary Walker,  Elissa Marra, Matt Cummings,  Martin Kaufman, Gloria Ramirez (not shown)

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