BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — New solutions were announced by Bexar County leaders to crack down on gun violence.
They're zeroing in on "switches", small devices that can turn any gun into a fully automatic weapon.
"We are not here to talk about taking anyone's gun away. We are talking about responsible gun ownership," said Bexar County District Attorney, Joe Gonzales, in a press conference Thursday.
A proponent of gun reform, Gonzales met with members of his Community Advisory Panel Thursday evening. Each member of the panel represents a different area of Bexar County.
"We're not only talking about violent crimes, we're talking about preventative measures," said panel member Winslow Swart, a North Central San Antonio resident. "The preventative measures are very important. Who doesn't need to be in possession of a weapon lawfully."
Thursday, the Community Advisory Panel discussed the tragedy in Uvalde and what strategies Bexar County can use moving forward to address gun violence.
"This gun violence thing has to slow down. We talk about stop, but it has to slow down before it stops," said panel member, Pastor Patrick Jones, a resident of San Antonio's east side.
Thursday, Gonzales introduced two new policies:
Immediately destroying every weapon used in cases where someone is convicted of wrongfully using them
Prosecuting someone at the state level for using devices called a "switch".
"[Switches] can convert a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one, allowing for rapid fire succession," Gonzales explained. "There's no reason to have these switches in your possession."
If someone in Bexar County has a switch, Gonzales says they'll face criminal charges. If someone has the device paired with a gun, they'll face a felony charge and up to 10 years in prison.
Since he took office in 2019, Gonzales says he's only prosecuted one case involving a switch, and fewer than five cases have been filed so far. However, federal authorities process thousands of cases. The ATF says it's dangerous for law enforcement to face anyone using a weapon with a switch.
"We are not always going to agree with the initiatives, with the programs he may want to implement. But with this topic, I believe we are all on the same page," said panel member Brenda Pacheco, a resident of San Antonio's South Side.