Prince George’s State’s Attorney Wants Maryland to Go After Ghost Guns – NBC4 Washington

Prince George’s County’s state’s lawyer is looking for laws requiring ghost weapons to have serial numbers.

Maryland’s state legislative session begins Wednesday, and crime is anticipated to be a significant focus with crime charges rising in Maryland’s cities and suburbs.

“Sadly, we now have seen a dramatic improve in crime throughout the nation and definitely on this area,” Prince George’s County State’s Lawyer Aisha Braveboy mentioned.
Prince George’s County’s homicide price doubled final 12 months. Braveboy says the proliferation of untraceable ghost weapons is making prosecution harder in some circumstances.

“We do not have laws across the necessities for the producers of the ghost weapons,” she mentioned.

In response to the state’s lawyer’s workplace, in 2020, 167 circumstances concerned ghost weapons. That quantity elevated to 209 final 12 months.

Braveboy says she needs the weapons, which may be made by kits and 3D printers, to have serial numbers that may be traced. That is not required now.

“We all know that there are producers on the market, however proper now they’re working throughout the regulation,” she mentioned. “The regulation is inadequate to guard the general public, and that is why we wish to change the regulation.”

Braveboy’s name for laws across the weapons comes as Gov. Larry Hogan requires refunding the police. Whereas Prince George’s County did not defund its regulation enforcement funds, it has skilled a rise in violent crime. The governor needs the state legislature to go two payments which have failed earlier than. He says they’re going to present extra funds to officers and maintain criminals accountable.

“I believe, you understand, the police do an awesome job, however they want all the assistance they’ll get, which is why we’re offering extra assets to the Prince George’s County police in addition to the Baltimore Metropolis police and all native and state police throughout the state,” Hogan mentioned Monday.

Braveboy says funding police is not all that is required.

“I believe it is extraordinarily essential that the governor additionally have a look at funding state’s lawyer’s workplaces, as a result of as enforcement will increase, the variety of circumstances improve,” she mentioned.