The Waco Police Department is asking for citizens' help in curbing gun violence in Waco. In 2021, there were 1,894 discharges of a firearm or gun related crimes, and of the 17 homicides committed, 12 of those involved a gun.
Waco Police Chief Sheryl Victorian released a statement earlier today on social media asking citizens to not to take gun related issues into their own hands.
“If you see suspicious activity involving a gun, if you hear gunfire, or are a victim of a crime involving a gun, please report it to the police.”
One of the problems that Waco PD is facing, so many people are discharging a firearm without thinking about the consequences of their actions.
“And using a firearm to do that, to scare somebody, by shooting up their house and causing property damage. You may think you are scaring them, but happens when that projectile penetrates into that house, and strikes a child sleeping, and kills a child, not even the intended target.”
Assistant Chief Frank Gentsch says that there’s another way that citizens can help with gun violence since many of the guns recovered from a crime are stolen.
“We’re asking our citizens to remove their firearms from their vehicles, and take them into their residence, and secure them safely in their residence. Don’t leave them in the car.”
Gentsch says that even though your vehicle is locked and you may think you have a great hiding place for a firearm, you don’t, the criminals know where to look in cars.