Buffalo police arrest 20 people on illegal weapons charges in first weeks of June

BUFFALO, N.Y. — In the first two weeks of June, 20 people were arrested on illegal gun charges.

19 firearms were recovered during various police operations involving search warrants, response teams and traffic stops.

“We want the information to be made public about the amount of guns we’re taking off the street,” Gramaglia said. “And what happens to them when they are arraigned in court.”

Of the 20 people arrested so far in June, 10 have posted bail, 5 have been remanded by the judge and 5 have not yet posted bail.

“If we want to reduce violent crime, if we want to reduce our shootings, we have to get really tough on those who possess guns illegally, and that means spending time in prison and staying in prison,”

As of May, Buffalo police recovered 376 illegal guns.

“Looking overall at the last three years, since the beginning of the year, the number of guns seized has increased,” Gramaglia said.

Two guns recovered during the June arrests were “ghost guns,” according to Buffalo police.

Gramaglia attributed the success of recent gun arrests in part to a state grant received by Buffalo and other WNY law enforcement agencies.

The state gave agencies in Buffalo, Amherst, Cheektowaga, Lackawanna and Erie County $6.4 million through the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative.

“This GIVE grant provides us with significant funding for overtime patrols,” Gramaglia said. “They are there, they network, they engage and they are very visible in the community.”