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US Attorney James P. Kennedy announced Thursday the creation of a new federal working group to tackle a significant increase in gun violence in Buffalo.
Sharon Cantillon / News File Photo
The federal prosecutor’s office announced on Thursday a new task force aimed at combating the skyrocketing number of shootings and murders in Buffalo.
The effort, which was originally scheduled to last 60 days, will include “targeted enforcement” in which the police will focus on a “small number” of people – “worst of the worst in relation to our violent criminals,” said US attorney James P. .Kennedy.
Authorities will review all gun violence cases daily and decide whether defendants should be charged with state or federal charges, or both, Kennedy said.
Investigators from different agencies will share more information and law enforcement will step up their commitment to the community, he said.
“But we don’t want to turn these violent communities into minimal security prisons,” he said. “We’re going to fish with a spear, not a net.”
The effort, known as Violence Prevention and Elimination Response (VIPER), will direct federal personnel already working on the ground on other matters to combat the increase in shootings and homicides.
Thursday’s announcement at JFK Park – the site of a quadruple shooting on the 23rd Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, US Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration.
