gun violence task force: Philadelphia Metropolis

The 13th District: Part II

When Mike Chitwood arrived in Upper Darby in 2005, he knew what he had to do: go after drug and drug-related crime. It was the cause of many of the township's troubles and he knew he had to get aggressive. In the second part of his profile, Mike Mallowe tells how Chitwood did it. (Comments)

If it works, shut it down

Earlier this year, Metropolis did a three-part series on Philadelphia's Gun Violence Task Force, a $5-million-a-year effort to stop straw purchasing of guns.  By almost any account, the task force is a success, with nearly 700 prosecutions and convictions.  The city... (Comments)

The Gun Wars: Targeting Straw Buyers

By Tom Ferrick Jr.   For a law-enforcement success story look to the work of the Gun Violence Task Force, a joint city-state venture created three years ago to crack down on illegal guns  in Philadelphia. In late December, the Task Force... (Comments)

The Gun Wars II: In A Sea Of Weapons

By Tom Ferrick Jr. Lt. Vincent Testa admits to being something of a neat freak, so you can imagine how he felt two and a half years ago when he walked into his new command at the Philadelphia police department's... (Comments)

The Gun Wars III: Making Enforcement Work

By Tom Ferrick Jr. In late 2006, Kenneth Goodman stopped by the police district near where he lives in Southwest Philadelphia to report the theft of two guns from his girlfriend's house. He was lying. The guns were not stolen.... (Comments)