Battling Gun Violence
In my time as DA our community has sadly experienced two mass shootings (VTA & Gilroy Garlic Festival. So, I am acutely aware of the human suffering of the victims and their families, as well as the terrible psychological impact on our community.
Immediately following the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting, my Office established Gilroy Strong Resiliency Center, which provides material, social, and psychological services to any community members impacted by the trauma of gun violence.
Our office has also led on implementing pubic policies that reduce gun violence, including:
Santa Clara County has become a state leader in utilizing Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs), which allow authorities to remove firearms from individuals temporarily deemed a threat to themselves or others.
Gun Buyback Programs
Our office has collaborated with local communities to conduct gun buyback events, successfully removing over 4,000 unwanted firearms from circulation.
Gun-Related Intelligence Program (GRIP)
Our Office's Crime Strategies Unit developed the Gun-Related Intelligence Program (GRIP) to analyze police reports from unsolved gun cases. By matching firearms and bullet casings, GRIP has linked single weapons to multiple shootings, leading to numerous arrests and convictions for serious offenses such as armed robberies and murders.
Recognizing the growing threat of untraceable "ghost guns," the Office of the President has advocated for stronger regulations on 'ghost guns." We have increased our investigation of these weapons by nearly 40% in the last several years.