NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Officers recovered more than 60 guns in January, Police Chief Richard Myers said on Wednesday.
"There's no denying the fact that we have an abundance of guns available to people on the street," he told reporters.
Myers discussed several cases were officers seized guns, including one where he says officers found guns, crack, and marijuana all around young children. "To me, putting children at risk in an environment like this is unconscionable and we're very grateful that community members helped us identify this dangerous situation," he said.
Many of the guns recovered were stolen, Myers said, adding that he believes gun owners need to protect their guns in their houses and cars. Still, he says innocent people are generally safe in the city. "I look at the numbers as reflecting how aggressive officers are in identifying dangerous people on the street who are armed with ill intent," he said. "That's really the target of our enforcement activity."
Still, not every crime can be stopped. This week, police are investigating a string of hotel robberies. The latest happened Tuesday morning when a man robbed a Days Inn with a knife. Chief Myers said he's confident the man will be caught soon. "I'm pretty sure that soon their reign of robbery will come to an end," he said.
Anyone with information about the hotel robberies is asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
