A look into LPD’s effort to get illegal guns off the streets

• LPD has managed to seize more than 300 illegal guns off the streets, so far this year.
• This is partially thanks to the department's Violent Crime Initiative, which started in 2014.
• Watch video above to hear all about it.

Protecting and serving the neighborhood, is a motto that the Lansing Police Department lives by, even during the toughest battles.
“We want to get illegal firearms off the streets and out the hands of people who shouldn't have them,” said LPD Lt. Shawn McNamara.

Playing a crucial role in making sure this happens is McNamara, who oversees LPD's Violent Crime Initiative.

Since 2014, the Violent Crime Initiative has been aiming to get illegal guns off the streets. So far this year, LPD has been able to retrieve 309 illegal guns.

“There's a lot of work to do still, but just getting that one gun off the street could prevent other incidents,” McNamara said.

Preventing other incidents, like the 7 deadly shootings LPD has seen so far this year.

“The goal is to create a safe environment where people don’t have to worry about violence,” McNamara said.

An overall goal the McNamara said you could help obtain by doing your part as a responsible gun owner.

“What I would encourage residents to do is just to secure their weapons,” he said.