BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Law enforcement officials in the region said homicides have decreased by over 50% thanks in part to the VIPER initiative, which was introduced in July to combat the rising cases of gun violence in the community.
VIPER, or Federal Violent Prevention and Elimination Response, was a 60-day surge to target the most violent offenders in the community. Police agencies at the federal and local level collaboratively shared information about certain offenders and trends in an effort to get them off the streets.
US Attorney JP Kennedy gave one example of how VIPER worked. Certain names continued to pop up during the Buffalo Police Department's weekly shoot review meetings.
"(The individuals) were implicated in a number of shootings that perhaps wouldn't be otherwise recognizable as being related to one another just to the general public," Kennedy said. "Because of the work done by the intelligence units from all the police departments including Buffalo, the crime analysis center, and our federla partners, we identified certain individuals who were the trigger pullers. We targeted them. We found a way to arrest them. We were watching them and paying attention to what they were doing."
Kennedy said infractions like a car stop led to warrants, which later led to arrests. In one instance, Kennedy said there were approximately eight ghost guns seized by someone who was connected to a number of shootings.
For the first six months of 2021, the City of Buffalo averaged 7 homicides per month. Since VIPER began, the number of homicides decreased by half. The number of shootings also also decreased. There were 140 arrests on gun charges, 122 firearms seized, 44 federal arrests that are pending federal prosecution, and 96 cases in state court.
The 60-day surge technically ended earlier this week. However, Kennedy announced the program will expand through October.
"The us versus them is no longer the community versus the police, it's the community and the police versus the violent criminals," Kennedy said. "With so much polarization and division in our world today, VIPER demonstrates that great things can happen when we come united in a purpose."
It's unknown whether the VIPER program will expand beyond October. In July, President Joe Biden nominated Trini Ross to be the next US Attorney for Western New York. She has not been confirmed yet by the senate. Kennedy said he wants to keep the full-court press on because there are still dangerous people in the community.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said it's his hope the program will continue.
"It should never go away, even long after I'm gone," Flynn said. "Crime is never going to go away totally."
