See it, Stop it, and Say it-get illegal guns out of the hands of criminals

Gun violence escalates in South St. Pete where the mayor and council seem in denial that a problem exists. Other Florida cities are looking for solutions. Orlando, Miami and Jacksonville are using cash rewards to get guns out of the hands of criminals.

As part of Mayor’s Buddy Dyer’s commitment to public safety, the City of Orlando has launched a new partnership with Central Florida Crimeline to generate leads for additional arrests and to get illegal guns off the streets.

The Illegal Gun Bounty program will be administered through Central Florida Crimeline, whose mission is to increase the safety of the Central Florida community by assisting law enforcement agencies in removing undesirable individuals from the community. Initial funding of the Illegal Gun Bounty program is made available through the law enforcement trust fund – which is forfeiture dollars and monies seized from drug dealers and those involved in criminal activities.

“Our administration has been squarely focused on finding solutions to crime and opportunities to prevent it,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to Crimeline. “The Illegal Gun Bounty program is a great tool to empower residents and get illegal guns out of the hands of criminals.”

A similar program in Miami is marketed to criminals who have no interest in helping law enforcement but will turn someone in for easy money. "HOW TO GET A STACK." reads the ad that shows a "stack" of 10 $100 bills.

"Get $1000 cash reward for your information that leads to a person with an illegal gun.

"NO: Name, ID, Questions."

The newspaper Miami New Times reports "The flyers don't mention the police or any governing body. But Miami-Dade County is pushing them like spinach at a fat camp. Every time an inmate departs the county jail, upon collecting his property, he receives a flyer. It's even sized like a standard U.S. bill, so it can be folded into a wallet."