ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - St. Louis’ Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce says the city’s number one crime-fighting goal in 2013 will be to curb gun violence and that trying gun violence in a separate court could help speed up the prosecutions.

“I think the court is very interested in hearing all the ideas. Ultimately, it is their decision to whether there is going to be a new armed offender court or a new initiative to deal with gun cases,” she said.

Better cooperation from victims and witnesses will make prosecuting gun crimes much easier but, Joyce said, that “continues to be be one of the biggest challenges we face.”

“It’s really the number one reason why we can’t hold criminals accountable,” she explained.

Another goal is to keep encouraging efforts such as neighborhood watches which, Joyce argues, prompt residents to take ownership of and pride in their communities.

As for 2012, she admits they’re “still going over the numbers” but says it was a prolific year.

“I think we tried more cases this year than we did last year. I think that the docket is lower at the end of the year than it was last year. So it’s been a good, busy year for everybody in the criminal justice system,” she said.