SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Hampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni has created a special session in Springfield District Court to hear all cases involving gun offenses.

Mastroianni said the session seeks to streamline and coordinate cases involving guns and to better track them through the criminal justice system.

After arraignments, all gun cases will be transferred into the session for pre-trial matters, motions and eventually trials.

A designated judge will hear gun-related cases on specifically scheduled days. The cases will be treated separately from all other types of cases handled by the district court.

Mastroianni said the Springfield police took a total of 231 guns off the street last year.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.