Mayor Eric Papenfuse and Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico will announce a new anti-violence initiative in the Harrisburg on Monday.
Under the program, courts will set bail at a minimum of $100,000 for anyone charged with illegally carrying a firearm. And juveniles, 15 and older, who face that change will be detained at a juvenile detention facility.
Harrisburg resident Amy Pace says she moved into her home on Walnut Street two years ago but she’s already witnessed several shootings, including one in which bullet fragments shattered her windows.
“I’m all for it,” she says of the plan. “There needs to be stricter consequences for these young kids who want to take that decision to go down that road, they have to pay the price, because they’re taking lives.”
Harrisburg Police will make arrangements to pick up any guns that need to be turned in. This week, if an illegal gun is turned in that was not used in a crime, police will take it without any charge of illegal possession.
Some question whether it can actually make a dent in he number of illegal guns on the street.
“You still have the young kids still having access to get to them in other avenues,” says resident Carla Watts.