Mayor Soglin offers $1,000 reward for guns used in shootings

Velena Jones by Velena Jones







Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said he’s taking action Tuesday to prevent further gun violence in the city.

Soglin announced a plan to offer a $1,000 reward per gun for anyone who reports a firearm being used in a gun-related crime. People reporting the guns can remain anonymous, he said.

“There’s a responsibility on the part of every person who knows somebody who has fired into a home, who has fired into a vehicle, who has shot another person, to come forward, and to take the appropriate steps to make sure that the community is safer, and that safe harbor is not available under any circumstances,” Soglin said.

At a news conference Tuesday in Soglin’s mayoral conference room, he said he has a team discussing a potential bounty program. The mayor explained the city is studying gun-bounty programs in other cities, and while more research needs to be done, he wanted to take immediate action rather than wait for the research to conclude.

Soglin said studies of bounty programs that other cities have implemented could take an additional two to three weeks to be completed.

“We’ve been contemplating this for a couple of weeks now, and I just don’t want to wait,” Soglin said. “Until we have time to complete the research and, if necessary, adopt a bounty program officially, I’m prepared to use funds in my office (to pay gun rewards).”

According to Madison police, this year they have responded more than 100 reports of gunfire a 79-percent increase compared to the same time last year with 54 reports, District 9 Alder Paul Skidmore supports the Mayor’s plan.

“The people that do people ill, the people that participate in crimes of opportunity: They are going to move forward. They are not going to wait and see what we are going to do and find something different. They are going to keep doing it until they can’t do it,” Skidmore said.

The mayor’s office plans to work with neighborhood leaders in the coming weeks to drive out “unacceptable behavior,” but noted for the efforts to be successful in reducing violence, the community will have to participate.

“We as community leaders, as elected officials, we can have something to say about it, but we cannot lead it,” Soglin said. “There is a responsibility of every person who knows someone who has fired into a home, who has fired into a vehicle, who has shot another person, to come forward and take the appropriate steps to make sure the community is safer and that safe harbor is not available.”

The gun-reward money program will go into effect immediately in the city, Soglin said.

He said there is no way to determine how effective their efforts will be, but “I figure there is very little downside. We may be wasting our time and a little bit of money, but I think it is worth it.”

The Focused Interruption Coalition, a local group whose goal is to reduce crime in the area by working with community members, said the group doesn’t have enough information to give its support to the program yet, but FIC is looking forward to learning more.

COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.