Hundreds of weapons seized since start of Phoenix crackdown on gun crime

PHOENIX – Hundreds of weapons have been taken out of the wrong hands since Phoenix implemented its Operation Gun Crime Crackdown last month, the city said Wednesday.

The Phoenix Police Department seized 711 firearms and made 536 arrests between the multi-agency pilot program’s July 5 start and Monday, the city said in a press release.

More than a dozen of the seized guns had illegal conversion devices that made the weapons fully automatic. Another was a flare gun modified to fire a 9mm round.

“When we can take guns off the streets and out of the hands of people who should not have them, we’re improving safety throughout the city,” Mayor Kate Gallego said in the release. “It shows how much we can accomplish when agencies collaborate on a common goal.”

Operation Gun Crime Crackdown involves the police department, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

When the operation was announced in June, the city said homicides with firearms were up 45% this year over the same time last year and aggravated assaults with guns were up 23%.

The program aims to reduce gun crimes by getting firearms out of the hands of people who can’t legally have them.

It includes a tip line for community members to report information about illegal gun possession. Reports can be made at 602-644-5805 or through an online portal.

“The results of this targeted effort are a great example of how working with our law enforcement partners can enhance the great work the men and women of the Phoenix Police Department do every day,” said Chief Jeri Williams said in the release.

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