Law Enforcement Sees New Trend: People Turning Pistols into Fully Automatic Machine Guns
Members of local law enforcement say they are seeing the new trend of people turning pistols into fully automatic machine guns. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger shared this information as part of a larger meeting to address crime in Brooklyn Park with Attorney General Keith Ellison, nonprofit violence intervention group Minnesota Acts Now, Brooklyn Park police and city staff.
Brooklyn Park police say 2021 was a challenging year for crime.
On Tuesday, community leaders and law enforcement officials held a meeting in Brooklyn Park to try and avoid a repeat of 2021. Church leaders, police, and the public gathered at Ebenezer Community Church for a frank discussion on violent crime.
“It’s getting worse,” said Bishop Harding Smith, executive director of Minnesota Acts Now, who helped organize the event.
Smith says he’s concerned that this summer will repeat last year when violent crime was at an all-time high in some areas.
“You hear of mass shootings, you hear of carjackings, you hear of communities where people just are sick and tired of all the lawlessness going on,” Smith explained.
Brooklyn Center police found 130 spent casings outside apartment complex stemming from July 4 incident
Interim Brooklyn Park police chief Mark Bruley says the intersection of 63rd and Zane avenues was a hot spot for crime last summer but says things have improved since nonprofit violence intervention group Minnesota Acts Now has been patrolling the area.
“We were having significant violence daily, and now it’s almost absent of any violence,” said Bruley.
State Attorney General Keith Ellison was also on hand. He says one solution would be to regulate the availability of guns and crack down on illegal purchases.
“We might be different colors and live in different places, but we’re unified in the fact that these guns are literally killing us,” remarked Ellison.
New Disturbing Trend: Illegal Machine Gun Conversion
Law enforcement officials say they see a trend they haven’t seen before: people buying equipment to turn pistols into fully automatic machine guns.
“It is illegal in the United States to possess a machine gun, and they’re all over our community,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.
Crystal resident Michael Mawlue attended the meeting. He wants better communication between police and the public, especially among people of color.
“People will understand how drivers feel when they are stopped and that communication may be better, the relationship and understanding between drivers and police officers,” said Mawlue.
“We’re all trying to find a way. We’re trying to share ideas. We’re trying to educate each other, put our best foot forward,” said Smith.
