Rhode Island State Police seized 326 guns in 2023.
And the agency also saw weapon offenses increase 41 percent over the course of the calendar year.
Both the percentage increase, and the overall volume of gun seizures in 2023, drew some attention recently as commanders looked over last year’s statistics.
The agency’s overall operations did not change in any significant way in 2023, but the work of state police intensified as troopers encountered more guns and narcotics, said state police Maj. Ken Moriarty, who commands the detective bureau.
Troopers on patrol encountered some people carrying weapons illegally, but the bulk of the 2023 seizures and weapons violations took place in the realm of counter-narcotics, Moriarty said.
What do state police caused the rise in guns?
In 2023, he said, it appeared that people involved in narcotics transactions were carrying more guns than in the past.
Also, narcotics-related arrests increased 35 percent generally last year, according to a state police news release. Arrests related to narcotics and firearms carried out by the state police High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force rose 51 percent.