NCJ Number
199024
Journal
USA Bulletin Volume: 50 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2002 Pages: 11-15
Date Published
January 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article explains the reason for, as well as, the design and implementation of Project Exile in Richmond, VA, which involved intensive, cooperative partnerships among criminal justice agencies in the strict enforcement of Federal laws against gun crimes.
Abstract
Project Exile was created because gun violence had plagued Richmond since the late 1980's, placing it consistently in the top five murder-per-capita rates for the country. Project Exile derived its name from the concept that if the police catch a criminal with a gun in Richmond, the criminal has forfeited his/her right to remain in the community. The criminal will face immediate Federal prosecution and stiff mandatory Federal prison sentences (often 5 to 10 years), thus being "exiled" to Federal prison. Project Exile has involved full cooperation and coordination from the officer on the beat to the Federal prosecutor; cooperation between the local Commonwealth Attorney's Office and the Virginia Attorney General's Office, with each office providing a staff prosecutor to the U.S. Attorney's Office to assist in prosecutions; the coordination of all police agencies through a simplified reporting system; and the use of innovative and aggressive policing methods, such as traffic checkpoints, to locate drugs and guns. To enhance these efforts, the U.S. Attorney's Office has conducted several training programs, notably hour-long lectures for all Richmond police officers to inform them about Federal firearm statutes and the procedures used in Project Exile. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of Project Exile is its effort to market deterrence to the community, which has involved not only informing the community about Project Exile, but also involving community groups in a variety of public outreach and education efforts. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia now ranks second among Federal districts in prosecuting Federal firearm violations.