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Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey Calls For Ban On Assault Weapons, Help For Mentally Ill

By Al Novack

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey has heard all the accounts of the Sandy Hook shootings and the demands for gun control. The commissioner shared his thoughts at police headquarters.

Commissioner Ramsey sees a definite need for tighter gun control laws, especially military assault weapons like the rifle that was used in Newtown, Connecticut.

"It's a military style weapon; you don't need it. We live in a -- supposedly live in a civilized society, although it would make one wonder with some of the things that go on, but we don't need that kind of stuff. People can scream and yell and do whatever but I mean the reality is we've got a problem, we've got to find a way to fix it, but it's going to take both sides. They got to find some middle ground somewhere and that's going to take a lot of work."

Law enforcement officials in Connecticut say the shooter, Adam Lanza, used a .223 caliber military-style assault rifle to kill most of his victims. It's a similar weapon to the one used by the notorious D.C. sniper when Ramsey was police commissioner in the nation's capitol.

Commissioner Ramsey says gun control isn't the cure-all. He says mental health issues and access to guns by mentally impaired must be dealt with as well. He says he's not overly optimistic that anything will be done by legislators.

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