Statistics on Shootings Stopped by Armed Civilians Peer Reviewed Journal Article

Groundwork

Community gun violence is a grade of interpersonal gun violence (assaults) that takes identify between non-intimately related individuals in cities. This form of gun violence disproportionately impacts Black and Hispanic/Latino individuals. It occurs in public places — streets, parks, front end porches — in cities across the Us, and it makes up the majority of gun homicides that occur in the United States.four Most community gun violence is highly concentrated inside under-resourced city neighborhoods. As a consequence, whole neighborhoods are exposed to and impacted by the adverse health furnishings of gun violence.5 The neighborhoods disproportionately affected by community gun violence are the same neighborhoods impacted by social and economic inequities that can be traced to racism, segregation, and electric current discriminatory policies, like redlining, exclusionary zoning, and mass incarceration.6, 7 These inequities often are at the root of community gun violence. Consequently, Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans are unduly impacted by community gun violence.

County	Boilerplate annual firearm homicides (2015-2019)	Age-adjusted firearm homicide rate (per 100,000 people)	Times higher than the national firearm homicide rate
St. Louis city, MO	129	41.86	ix.3
Baltimore metropolis, MD	241	38.36	8.5
Orleans Parish, LA (New Orleans)	121	31.xx	6.9
Jefferson Canton, AL (Birmingham)	132	20.91	4.6
Shelby County, TN (Memphis)	187	20.26	4.v
Jackson County, MO (Kansas City)	130	nineteen.47	four.iii
Philadelphia Canton, PA	270	16.44	3.6
Wayne County, MI (Detroit)	253	xv.48	iii.4
Richmond metropolis, VA	38	15.09	3.3
Marion County, IN (Indianapolis)	142	15.02	three.3
Commune of Columbia, DC	107	13.88	3.ane
Milwaukee County, WI	115	12.14	2.7
Cook County, IL (Chicago)	626	12.12	2.7
Jefferson County, KY (Louisville)	86	11.77	2.half-dozen
Cuyahoga County, OH (Cleveland)	133	11.36	two.5
Us	14,062	4.51	-

Source: CDC WONDER.

Nosotros define urban counties equally large key metro counties as classified past the National Center for Health Statistics.

All rates listed are historic period-adjusted in order to allow for accurate comparisons between populations with differing historic period distributions.

Firearm Homicide Rates vs. Full Number of Firearm Homicides

Because the population varies significantly by metropolis or county, firearm homicide rates provide a better illustration of the impact gun violence has on communities, rather than the full number of firearm homicides inside a given area.

For example, Cook Canton (Chicago), Illinois has by far the most number of firearm homicides out of any county in the state, averaging over 600 each year. Withal, considering Cook County has a population of v.two 1000000 residents, the firearm homicide charge per unit is much lower than many other large metro counties with smaller populations. In fact, Cook County'due south firearm homicide rate is 11.62 per 100,000, ranking it 13th in the land amongst big central metro counties, behind Milwaukee Canton.12, 13 Clearly, the sheer number of firearm homicides illustrates that Melt Canton is in the midst of a gun violence crisis, merely this crunch is non unique to Chicago; it is equally devastating in cities beyond the United States.

Fifty-fifty within the cities that accept high firearm homicide rates, customs gun violence is highly concentrated within under-resourced neighborhoods. For example, an analysis of firearm homicide data from 2015 found that 26% of all firearm homicides in the United States occurred in census tracts that independent only ane.5% of the American population.14 This illustrates how gun violence within cities is oftentimes confined to a few under-resourced neighborhoods where predominantly Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans live. In Saint Louis, for example, 42% of the metropolis'southward murders in 2015 occurred in simply 8 out of the urban center'southward 79 residential neighborhoods.15 During that twelvemonth, nine people were murdered by firearm in nine dissever shootings, all confined to i 0.four square mile demography tract.16

Black Americans are more than than ten times more likely to be murdered by firearm than their White counterparts.25 Over the past decade (2010-2019), 71,994 Black Americans died by firearm homicide; the vast majority of these victims were young males. Young Black males ages 15-34 make up 2% of the U.S. population but account for 37% of all firearm homicide victims.26 Gun violence is the leading crusade of expiry for Black males ages 15-34.27

Black females are also unduly impacted by gun violence. Black females are almost four times more probable to be victims of gun violence than White females. This disparity is even more pronounced among teen and immature developed females. Young Blackness females ages fifteen-24 are seven times more likely to be murdered past firearm than their White counterparts.28

Hispanic/Latino Americans are more twice as likely to be murdered by firearms than White (non Hispanic/Latino) Americans.29 Over the past decade (2010-2019), 20,184 Hispanic/Latino Americans have been murdered by firearms, more lx% of whom are males ages xv-34. Gun violence is the second leading cause of decease for Hispanic/Latino males nether the historic period of 34, and Hispanic/Latino males ages 15-34 are three.4 times more likely to exist murdered by firearm than their White (not Hispanic/Latino) counterparts.xxx

Hispanic/Latina females are besides disproportionately impacted past gun violence, particularly young females. Young Hispanic/Latino females ages 15-24 are nearly twice every bit likely to exist murdered by firearm than White (non Hispanic/Latino) females.31

Female Firearm Homicide Rates,
2015-2019

Age-adjusted charge per unit per 100,000

White (non Hispanic/Latino)

Hispanic/Latino (any race)

Black (non Hispanic/Latino)

Source: CDC WONDER.

All rates listed are historic period-adjusted in guild to allow for accurate comparisons between populations with differing age distributions.

Male Firearm Homicide Rates,
2015-2019

Historic period-adjusted rate per 100,000

White (non Hispanic/Latino)

Hispanic/Latino (whatever race)

Black (non Hispanic/Latino)

Source: CDC WONDER.

All rates listed are age-adjusted in order to permit for accurate comparisons between populations with differing age distributions.

Firearm Homicide Rates past
Disproportionately Impacted Populations,
2015-2019

Age-adjusted rate per 100,000

Disproportionately impacted population

National average

Male

Black male person

Black males living
in large central
metro counties

Black males living
in large central
metro counties
anile 15-34

Source: CDC WONDER.

All rates listed are age-adapted in club to allow for authentic comparisons between populations with differing age distributions.

Police force Brutality and Discrimination Influence Customs Gun Violence

Police legitimacy is the way community members trust in, and are willing to work with, the law. Information technology is a vital component in reducing community gun violence. When communities view the law force as legitimate they are more willing to work with law enforcement to identify and detain those responsible for committing acts of gun violence, and to intervene earlier conflicts develop into shootings. Likewise, when law legitimacy is stiff, victims of violence experience rubber and can rely on formal channels of justice to bring about closure, instead of resorting to retaliation.46

Law brutality and widespread discrimination undermine police legitimacy, and thereby fuel community gun violence. In many Blackness and Brown communities distrust in law enforcement stems from a legacy of racist policies and state-sanctioned violence, often carried out by police force. Compounded upon this history is the ongoing crisis of mass incarceration and constabulary brutality.46 Research consistently highlights racial disparities at virtually every stride within the criminal justice system. Black males are stopped by police, arrested, denied bail, wrongfully convicted, issued longer sentences, and shot by police at much higher rates than White Americans.46

Unsurprisingly, when individuals experience police discrimination or brutality they are less likely to trust or rely on constabulary enforcement. Consequently, these community members are reticent to report criminal activity or act as witnesses in criminal investigations. Instead, some rely on breezy channels of justice – similar retaliatory violence – to resolve conflict.46 A 2016 study examined the relationships betwixt police brutality, police legitimacy, and homicide rates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The authors examined the highly publicized, vicious beating of an unarmed Black human being, Frank Jude, by Milwaukee police officers in 2004. The authors establish that in the year after the beating, calls for police services dropped dramatically in the urban center, especially in underserved Black and Brown neighborhoods. In the year following the beating there were 22,200 fewer 911 calls. This decrease in 911 calls coincided with a spike in homicides. In the six months following this beating, homicides in Milwaukee increased past 32%.46 The authors conclude that this one act of law brutality eroded trust in police force enforcement and likely contributed to increases in gun violence. This study illustrates how law brutality is both unconscionable in its own correct and may fuel community gun violence.

How Does Community Gun Violence Impact Health and Wellbeing?

The trauma of customs gun violence extends beyond those who are straight injured past a shooting to those in the community who are exposed indirectly equally a witness. Those indirectly and straight impacted past community gun violence experience lasting impacts on wellness and wellbeing.

Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans are exposed to community gun violence — by witnessing a shooting or knowing a loved one impacted — at much higher rates than White (non Hispanic/Latino) Americans. The widespread exposure to community gun violence impacts health, wellbeing, and development. This trauma exacerbates existing health and social inequalities and further perpetuates gun violence.

Health Equity

"Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Achieving this requires removing structural inequities such as poverty, bigotry, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of admission to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care."47

Each year, more 35,600 Americans survive gun assaults, and the victims and their families must cope with the associated physical pain and mental trauma.48 The trauma of community gun violence extends beyond those who are straight injured by a shooting to those in the community who are exposed equally a witness, a neighbour, classmate, or acquaintance. This indirect exposure to community gun violence is often wide-spread within many under-resourced Black and Hispanic/Latino communities. As a effect, millions of Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans are coping with the adverse health impacts of community gun violence.

Nationally, Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans report being exposed to violence at rates twice that of White Americans.49 A 2018 nationally representative poll of American adults found that 27% of Black Americans had witnessed a shooting and 23% reported that someone they care for has been killed by a gun. Amid Hispanic/Latino Americans, 22% reported that someone they cared for has been killed past a gun.50 Over 45% of Black and Hispanic/Latino American respondents stated that gun violence was either a major problem or somewhat problematic inside their neighborhood, compared to just 27% of White Americans.51

Exposure to gun violence within under-resourced Black and Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods is ofttimes routine, even for children. A number of studies take institute that between fifty% to 95% of youth surveyed in under-resourced neighborhoods have either witnessed a shooting, an attack, or heard gunshots.52 For example, a representative sample of Chicago youth in eighty different neighborhoods spanning ix years establish that 43% of boys and 28% of girls had seen someone else who was shot or shot at with a gun within the past two years. This study institute that within these Chicago neighborhoods, the odds of being exposed to violence were 74% higher for Hispanic/Latino youth and 112% college for Black youth when compared to White youth.53 This exposure to violence, especially for youth and children, impacts health and wellbeing both in the brusque term and the long term.

Gun violence exposure has lasting impacts on health, wellbeing, and evolution if left untreated.54 Research suggests that gun violence exposure amongst children and teens tin change the chemistry in the brain, severely impacting cognitive and emotional evolution.55 For example, one report found that 65% of youth indirectly exposed to community gun violence, by hearing gunshots or witnessing a shooting, reported beingness extremely distressed. The majority of those exposed reported negative changes to their behavior as a consequence of this violence, such as beingness less probable to travel outside alone, avoiding certain locations, staying dwelling house from school, and carrying guns for protection.56

When individuals are afraid to leave their homes and develop relationships with neighbors and peers, their physical and mental wellness are impacted. As a result, youth exposed to community gun violence are more than likely to be physically inactive, exhibit antisocial behaviors, human activity aggressively, and perform poorly in schoolhouse.57, 58

Exposure to customs gun violence is also linked to an increased likelihood of engaging in tearing beliefs. For instance, a report examining 500 Black American youth living in under-resourced neighborhoods in Virginia found that direct exposure to violence was the all-time predictor of whether an individual would afterwards engage in gun-related crimes.59

Exposure to community gun violence is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder, antisocial beliefs, depression, anxiety, stunted cognitive and emotional development, and risky alcohol and substance use.60, 61, 62, 63 Information technology is also linked to long term poor chronic wellness conditions. Research consistently finds that those exposed to community violence as children are at increased risk for eye affliction, stroke, cancer, lung illness, diabetes, and hepatitis.64, 65

Exposure to gun violence is associated with:

• Mail-traumatic stress disorder
• Antisocial behavior
• Depression
• Stunted cognitive and emotional development
• Risky alcohol and substance use
• High rates of chronic disease
• Increased likelihood in engaging in violence

Community gun violence adversely impacts economic opportunities and exacerbates the atmospheric condition that fuel gun violence within already under-resourced neighborhoods.66, 67 When communities experience loftier rates of gun violence, residents who have the resource motility to safer neighborhoods and housing prices plummet. For example, a written report of gun violence in Minneapolis found that 1 boosted homicide in a given demography tract was associated with a $22,000 decrease in average home values.68

Businesses in neighborhoods with high rates of gun violence are also likely to relocate to safer areas where their customers feel safer shopping in public. City-specific analyses establish that in DC, for example, ten additional gunshots in a census tract in a given year were linked to 1 fewer new business organization opening, one more than business closing, and xx fewer jobs in new establishments that same year.69 A like analysis in Oakland constitute that an additional gun homicide each year was related to five fewer job opportunities in that neighborhood the subsequent year.seventy

As residents and businesses move out of high violence communities, city revenue generated from property and sales taxes decreases. Thus, cities are unable to pay for the public services needed to back up communities living in poverty and facing high rates of violence. The decreased city taxation revenue causes cities to cut funding to schools, social services, and programs that build community and provide opportunity, even as the demand for these services has increased.

Neighborhoods exposed to increased customs gun violence are defenseless in a cycle of economic disinvestment, diminishing public services, and as a event, farther increases in violence. These economical impacts of gun violence drive the weather condition that fuel additional gun violence and concentrated disadvantage.71

"Gun violence is a multifaceted claiming that demands a holistic gear up of solutions to stop the cycles of daily gun violence in the almost impacted communities. Those who are closest to the pain need to be closest to the power."

- Lauren Footman, Director of Outreach and Disinterestedness

Stemming the menstruum of illegal guns into communities of colour is vital to reducing community gun violence. At that place are no federally licensed firearms dealers in many communities most impacted by gun violence, notwithstanding there is frequently an abundance of firearms. In Washington, DC, for example, there is ane federally licensed firearms dealer for the entire city. Yet, the ATF reported two,095 recovered firearms at crime scenes in 2018 alone and only 43 were traced back to an original purchase in DC.75 The majority of firearms are brought into DC from other states, often by firearm traffickers. These firearm traffickers buy firearms in majority in states with lax firearm purchasing laws and illegally sell these guns in the underground market place. Inside just five months in 2015, one human illegally trafficked 224 guns from Virginia into DC, selling guns out of the trunk of his rental car to whoever would buy, and fifty-fifty supplying guns to rivals in an ongoing feud.76 This case illuminates the gaps in federal and state laws that allow firearms to exist diverted into the underground gun market place.

Gun violence prevention policies that prevent firearms trafficking play an of import function in reducing customs gun violence. These laws include universal background checks, lost and stolen firearm reporting laws, and firearm licensing laws.

• Universal background checks: Universal background checks require that a background cheque be conducted on all firearm sales and transfers. Research suggests that land laws requiring universal background checks reduce the number of guns that enter the illegal market place within a state, which oft fuels gun violence in cities.77 They also are linked to a 29% decrease in law-breaking guns trafficked across state lines.Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Prove and Analysis. The Johns Hopkins University Press.">78
• Lost and stolen firearm reporting laws: Each year an estimated 380,000 firearms are stolen in the U.S nonetheless simply 240,000 are reported to law enforcement.79, 80 This suggests that an estimated 140,000 gun thefts are not reported to law enforcement each year. Laws that require gun owners to promptly study lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement can help prevent firearm trafficking. These laws both increase gun seller accountability and provide police with a tool to combat firearm traffickers. States that take lost and stolen firearm reporting laws were associated with xxx% lower rates of crime gun exports to other states compared to states without such laws.Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Prove and Analysis. The Johns Hopkins University Press.">81
• Licensing: Firearm licensing laws, also known as permit to buy, crave an private to qualify for and obtain a license before acquiring or owning a firearm. The licensing process is like to obtaining a driver'due south license. Individuals generally must fill out an in-person application at the law department, be fingerprinted, and undergo a comprehensive criminal background check. Licensing laws are found to be effective at deterring individuals who commit violent crimes and gun traffickers from obtaining firearms. For example, the repeal of Missouri's licensing law was associated with the increased diversion of guns into the illegal market.Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Prove and Assay. The Johns Hopkins University Press">82 Research too shows that licensing laws are an constructive policy to prevent firearm homicides. Licensing laws are associated with an xi% reduction in firearm homicides in urban counties.83 Likewise, an analysis of Connecticut's licensing law found it was associated with a 40% reduction in firearm homicides.84

Strong gun violence prevention laws, like firearm licensing laws that require individuals to obtain a license before purchasing a firearm, must be paired with measures to ensure police accountability. In gild for law officers to enforce gun laws in an constructive and equitable style they need to be viewed past community members as legitimate. Many Blackness and Chocolate-brown communities across America are apprehensive to trust police enforcement and oftentimes are reluctant to partner with police to deed as witnesses and prevent violence. Given the long history of state sanctioned violence, racism, and mass incarceration frequently carried out past the criminal justice system, this reticence is understandable. Policymakers and police departments must work to mend these relationships. They can do this past building accurate relationships with communities and enacting police reforms that include:

• Requiring de-escalation before using physical force.
• Creating contained processes to investigate misconduct or excessive use of force.
• Ensuring police who apply excessive force are held accountable for their actions past reforming legal structures, similar qualified amnesty, that insulate police from facing sanctions for misconduct.
• Banning the utilise of chokeholds and other dangerous neck restraints.
• Requiring officers to intervene when excessive force is used by some other officer and immediately written report these incidents to superiors.
• Prohibiting no-knock warrants and requiring officers to announce themselves before inbound private holding.
• Restricting the transfer of military equipment to police and the employ of such equipment by police departments.
• Mandating that police force officers employ mortiferous strength equally a last resort only after they have exhausted all other measures.
• Requiring police departments to comprehensively report all apply of force instances.
• Prohibiting profiling by law enforcement based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, historic period, disability, proficiency with the English language, immigration status, and housing status.
• Vigorously enforcing the Department of Justice'south "design or practice" authority to investigate and sue police enforcement agencies that utilise unconstitutional policing practices.

In addition to adopting these reforms, police force departments must work towards adopting procedurally just practices. Procedural justice requires a long-term commitment from law enforcement leaders to institute a culture in which law run into the community equally authentic partners and respond to the expressed needs of the community. In society for these partnerships to take root there must be a law enforcement civilisation of transparency and citizen oversight. Customs members should have a vocalization in the decision making process and decisions should exist fabricated in a fair and neutral way.,81 81

When police adopt procedurally just policing techniques to build trust they tin more effectively piece of work with community members to solve gun crimes, prevent hereafter violence, and co-produce public safety. Witnesses will be more than likely to work with police to bring near justice to victims and their families and preclude retaliation. Likewise, increased trust promotes intelligence sharing with community stakeholders to identify those at gamble of beingness involved in gun violence and connect those individuals to behavioral and community back up earlier they perpetrate gun violence.

Community-based violence intervention efforts work with those impacted by gun violence to reduce the cycles of customs gun violence, address the underlying causes of gun violence, and promote health equity. Community-based violence intervention and prevention programs join community members, social service providers, and, in some cases, law enforcement to place and provide support for individuals at highest risk for gun violence. They also help individuals cope with the trauma that is associated with living in neighborhoods where witnessing gun violence is routine.

Violence intervention and prevention programs by and large:

• Deter individuals at high run a risk for violence from engaging in firearm violence
• Help individuals at loftier take chances for violence resolve potentially vehement disputes before they occur
• Connect those at high take chances for violence to education, employment, and housing services
• Provide peer mentoring, trauma-informed services, and culturally responsive mental wellness back up to individuals impacted past daily gun violence
• Authentically engage customs members to build trust and collaboration between stakeholders

Effective Violence Intervention and Prevention Programs

Street Outreach and Violence Interruption Programs

In the street outreach or violence interruption model, outreach workers are trained to identify conflicts within their community and help resolve disputes earlier they screw into gun violence. These outreach workers are credible members of the community and well-respected past individuals at a high risk of violence. Outreach workers employ their brownie to interrupt cycles of retaliatory violence, assistance connect high risk individuals to social services, and change norms around using guns to solve conflicts.

Show: Violence interruption programs, like the Cure Violence model, take been used successfully in multiple cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. New York's neighborhoods with a violence interruption site experienced 18% reductions in homicides from 2010-2013 while the matched control neighborhoods experienced a 69% increase during those aforementioned years.85

Grouping Violence Intervention / Focused Deterrence

In the Group Violence Intervention/Focused Deterrence model, prosecutors and police work with community leaders to identify a small group of individuals who are chronic fierce offenders and are at high risk for futurity violence. High take a chance individuals are chosen into a meeting and are told that if violence continues, every legal tool available will be used to ensure they face up swift and certain consequences. These individuals are simultaneously connected to social services and community support to help them in irresolute their behavior.

Show: An analysis of 24 focused deterrence programs found that these strategies led to an overall statistically meaning reduction in firearm violence. The most successful of these programs have reduced violent offense in cities by an average of 30% and improved relations between law enforcement officers and the neighborhoods they serve.86

Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs

Infirmary-based violence intervention programs provide gunshot victims admitted into hospitals with wraparound services such equally educational back up, job training, and culturally responsive mental health services to interrupt retaliatory cycles of violence and reduce the potential for re-injury.

Evidence: One report found that those enrolled in these programs were six times less likely to exist hospitalized again for a violent injury and four times less probable to be convicted of a violent crime than those not enrolled in the program.87 Likewise, an evaluation of Baltimore's plan found that it saved the urban center $ane.25 million in lowered incarceration costs and $598,000 in reduced healthcare costs.88

Trauma-informed Programs With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Trauma-informed programs that apply cognitive behavioral therapy for those at risk for firearm violence have experienced significant decreases in firearm violence.89 Cognitive behavioral therapy helps loftier risk individuals cope with trauma while simultaneously providing new tools to de-escalate disharmonize.

Evidence: Trauma-informed programs in Chicago that provide high risk youth with cognitive behavioral therapy and mentoring cutting fierce law-breaking arrests in one-half.90

Shooting And Homicide Review Commissions

Shooting review commissions bring together constabulary enforcement, community members, criminal justice stakeholders, and service providers to examine firearm violence within their community. Stakeholders collaboratively develop comprehensive interventions that identify high adventure individuals and address the underlying factors that atomic number 82 to violence.

Evidence: The shooting review committee in Milwaukee was associated with a significant and sustained 52% reduction in homicides.91 A Department of Justice evaluation found shooting review boards to exist an effective way to reduce gun violence by building trust betwixt criminal justice stakeholders and the community.92

Comprehensive Investments in Violence Intervention and Prevention Programs

Numerous studies have constitute that when properly funded and implemented, customs-based violence intervention and prevention efforts reduce gun violence. For example, Connecticut's land-funded grouping violence intervention plan was associated with a 21% subtract in shootings in New Oasis each calendar month that the program was in upshot.93 These programs are most effective when cities invest in comprehensive intervention and prevention efforts that engage a broad range of metropolis stakeholders and customs leaders. The Metropolis of Oakland, for example, used both land and city funds to invest in comprehensive customs-based gun violence intervention and prevention efforts to reduce gun violence by over forty%.94 These efforts were authentically led by community members, provided extensive wraparound services, and focused on improving relationships betwixt the community and law enforcement.

Community groups in cities across the United states of america authentically engage in community-based violence prevention efforts and accept done so for years. Yet only recently have state governments begun to seriously invest in these efforts. Five states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New York) accept invested in violence intervention and prevention programs and have experienced reductions in firearm violence inside country-funded program sites.95 Iii additional states (New Bailiwick of jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) take recently invested in these programs.96

In add-on to this state investment, many cities have begun funding community-based violence prevention efforts. For example, Los Angeles, New York City, and Oakland all allocate over $20 meg each year towards violence intervention and prevention efforts, collaborating with a variety of city agencies and community partners.97 In add-on to these major city investments, mid-sized cities across the United States have begun allocating funds towards violence intervention and prevention efforts. This includes cities like Kansas Metropolis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and St Louis.98

Federal Funding for Trauma Informed Care

In 2016, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) created a grants programme aimed at supporting communities exposed to loftier rates of community gun violence and civil unrest. This programme was called the Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) grants program and it provided millions of federal dollars to "to help loftier-risk youth and families and promote resilience and equity in communities that have recently faced civil unrest through implementation of bear witness-based, violence prevention, and community youth engagement programs, also as linkages to trauma-informed behavioral health services."108 Unfortunately, these grants are no longer available. At that place should be sustained federal grants programs, like ReCAST, that provide funding for trauma informed behavioral health services to aid individuals and communities cope with the trauma of community gun violence.

Accost the underlying social and economic inequalities that bulldoze firearm violence

Underserved communities of color accept been impacted past a legacy of racist social and economic policy. Policymakers should support efforts to accost these systemic inequalities that are frequently at the root of gun violence. These investments will help improve health, promote opportunity, and reduce gun violence. These investments should include:

• Chore training programs and youth development opportunities: Bear witness suggests increased funding for job training programs and youth employment opportunities can help reduce gun violence.99 For example, an evaluation of Boston's summertime youth employment program, which provides city-subsidized jobs to youth through a lottery organization, found that participants were 35% less probable to engage in violence in the fifteen months afterward the program's cease compared to like individuals who were not chosen through the lottery and thus not enrolled in the jobs program.100
• Recreation and customs centers, after school programs, and other pro-social development programs: Increased funding for recreation and community centers, subsequently school programs, and other pro-social development programs let individuals to build stronger, safer communities past providing safe places for individuals — particularly youth — to interact. Close to one-half of all juvenile offense takes place from ii:00 PM to 8:00 PM.101 When individuals have safe and productive places to go afterwards school, they are less likely to commit — or be a victim of — an act of violence. For instance, one study found that under-resourced neighborhoods that had access to a recreation middle had lower violent crime rates than like neighborhoods without recreation centers.102
• Programs that clean and rehabilitate blighted and abased holding: Funding for programs that make clean and rehabilitate blighted and abandoned property are associated with both decreases in gun violence of up to 39% over one year and improved community wellness.102 These programs foreclose gun violence by reducing the locations where illegal guns are stored and oft where illegal activity linked to gun violence occurs. Likewise, these programs increase the connectedness between neighbors and strengthen the informal social controls that deter violence.
• Affordable, stable, and high quality housing: Improved access and availability to affordable, stable, and high quality housing is needed for individuals impacted by daily gun violence. Adequate housing is closely linked to gun violence. Neighborhoods where there are loftier foreclosure rates, vacant homes, and housing instability are more likely to feel community gun violence.104 Programs and policies that provide stable housing for returning citizens, revitalize vacant lots, prevent foreclosures, and create affordable pathways to homeownership can help reduce community gun violence.105
• Affordable wellness and mental health services that are culturally responsive and trauma informed: Access to affordable health intendance, including robust mental health services, is needed to support individuals experiencing trauma. Trauma informed health services can assist better health, wellbeing, and accost chance factors for future violence.106 While there are evidence-based treatments to support those exposed to gun violence, individuals in impacted communities often lack access to these vital mental health services.107 These services should be made widely bachelor within communities suffering from the trauma of customs gun violence.

Recommendations

Enact and implement policies, programs, and practices that reduce easy access to firearms past people at elevated risk of interpersonal violence and invest in interventions that address the root causes of gun violence in structurally disadvantaged communities.

Laws that reduce easy access to firearms for people at take chances of violence are associated with reductions in community violence. Additionally, addressing the root causes of gun violence through community-based gun violence prevention programs is an important part of community gun violence prevention. Nosotros recommend the following policies, programs, and practices to preclude community gun violence:

• Community-based gun violence prevention programs: Community-based violence prevention programs that interrupt cycles of violence and provide a wide range of social services to address the root causes of gun violence are essential to preventing shootings in communities impacted by daily gun violence. Federal, state, and local policymakers should invest in such programs every bit part of violence prevention efforts. Examples include:
  • Street outreach and violence interruption programs
  • Group Violence Intervention/ Focused deterrence
  • Hospital-based violence intervention programs
  • Trauma-informed programs that employ cerebral behavioral therapy
  • Shooting review commissions
• Supporting customs economic development: Social and economic inequalities are often at the root of gun violence. Supporting sustainable community economic development will aid better health, promote opportunity, and reduce gun violence. Federal, state and local policymakers should pass legislation to promote and adequately fund:
  • Job training programs and youth development opportunities
  • Recreation and customs centers, after school programs, and other pro-social evolution programs
  • Programs that make clean and rehabilitate fated and abandoned belongings
  • Affordable, stable, and loftier quality housing
  • Affordable wellness and mental wellness services that are culturally responsive and trauma informed
• Offices of violence prevention: Cities and counties have the power to effectively reduce violence through the creation of an role of violence prevention. These agencies create a comprehensive plan to reduce violence, often by connecting a variety of urban center agencies, engaging with community stakeholders, and allocating urban center funds to community-based violence prevention programs. Offices of violence prevention are an essential component in ensuring that community-based efforts to reduce gun violence have the resources and technical support to effectively reduce violence. States and localities should create offices of violence prevention.
• Trauma informed care: Trauma informed care recognizes and responds to the impact of trauma, emphasizing concrete, psychological, and emotional prophylactic, while promoting empowerment and healing. Trauma informed intendance helps individuals and communities cope with the trauma of customs gun violence. Federal, state, and local policymakers should pass legislation to promote and fairly fund trauma informed practices across public agencies including in instruction, law enforcement, and social services.
• Supporting communities impacted past gun violence through federal grant funding:
  • Victims of Crimes Act (VOCA) funding: VOCA funds are designed to recoup victims of violence and to fund organizations that provide assistance to victims. To date, these funds have been underutilized to support victims of community gun violence. VOCA funds can be used to support a broad range of vital services such as hospital-based violence intervention programs, community-based violence prevention programs, and mental wellness services for those exposed to trauma. States should utilize their federal VOCA funds to provide services and bounty specifically to victims of community gun violence. They can do this by easing eligibility requirements, providing education and technical aid to notify individuals and organizations that authorize for VOCA funds, and providing back up to apply for the funds.
  • Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) funding: The U.S. Section of Justice'due south Bureau of Justice Assist offers funding for states and localities to support a range of public safety initiatives through Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG). Both Project Safe Neighborhoods and JAG provide states and localities significant discretion on how the funding can exist used, notwithstanding the bulk of these funds go to police departments. States and localities should use these existing funding streams to back up customs-based violence intervention and prevention efforts.
  • Other Federal Agencies: Other federal agencies including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Department of Education (DOE) and the Section of Housing and Urban Evolution (HUD) should make federal funding available for programs that reduce customs gun violence or that address the root causes of community gun violence.
• Reporting lost and stolen firearms: Lost and stolen reporting laws require individuals to study the loss or theft of their firearm to law enforcement, who then enter the information into an FBI firearms database. Lost and stolen reporting laws help reduce the flow of illegal firearms past identifying gun traffickers and helping to recover lost and stolen guns faster, thereby reducing interstate gun trafficking and violent crime. States should enact lost and stolen reporting laws.
• Universal groundwork checks with licensing: Universal background checks require a background check on all firearm sales and transfers. Without universal background checks, it is far too like shooting fish in a barrel for prohibited purchasers to acquire firearms. Requiring groundwork checks on all gun sales helps to reduce firearms trafficking. Background checks should exist required on every gun auction and transfer in the The states, including individual and online sales. Run across Universal Background Checks for more than data. Universal background checks are found to be nigh constructive when administered through a firearms licensing system. Licensing laws, likewise called permit-to-purchase laws, require individuals to obtain a license or let before purchasing a firearm. These laws vary from land to country, but in addition to a groundwork check, may require an in-person application, safety training, fingerprints, and a waiting menstruum. Research has found that these laws are effective at reducing homicides, suicides, and firearms trafficking. States should enact licensing laws and continuously monitor and evaluate these laws to ensure equitable implementation.
• Microstamping: Microstamping engineering imprints microscopic identification codes on bullet cartridge casings when the weapon is fired; these codes stand for with the firearm's series number and enable law enforcement to match cartridges found at criminal offence scenes directly to the gun that fired them without recovering the firearm itself. Microstamping has the power to help law enforcement solve shootings, interrupt cycles of violence, and ultimately preclude time to come shootings. Microstamping should be required in new semi-automatic pistols.
• Lethal means condom counseling and infirmary based violence intervention programs:
  • Lethal means safety counseling is an testify-based healthcare intervention that is effective in preventing firearm injury and can be used to assist prevent homicides. Lethal means safety counseling helps healthcare providers work collaboratively with at-risk patients and their families to temporarily reduce access to firearms until the elevated risk subsides. Healthcare professionals should be trained on lethal ways safe counseling as an injury prevention intervention. All patients should be asked about firearm access and provided safer storage information. Run across Lethal Ways Prophylactic Counseling for more data.
  • Gunshot victims who are admitted to hospitals should receive further back up through hospital-based violence intervention programs. These show-based programs provide survivors of gun violence with wraparound services such every bit educational support, task training, and culturally responsive mental wellness services to interrupt retaliatory cycles of violence and reduce the potential for re-injury.
• Improve nonfatal firearm injury data: Strong information is the foundation of the public health approach. Robust and accurate nonfatal injury data is profoundly needed to better understand nonfatal firearm injury and develop effective interventions for community violence. The number of hospitals included in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database should be expanded, the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) data should exist incorporated into the CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) database to adjust the current online judge, and a nonfatal shooting category should be added to the FBI's Uniform Criminal offence Reporting program. See  Nonfatal Firearm Injuries for more data.

Resource

Educational Materials

Fact sheets

• Firearm Homicide in the United States
• Funding Community-Based Violence Prevention
• The Root Causes of Gun Violence
• Female person Homicide in the United States
• COVID-nineteen and its Impact on Communities of Colour
• Police force Reform, Legitimacy, and Community Violence

Read More than

• June 2020 press release, Congressional action on policing reform
• June 2020 printing release, CSGV responds to unrest in Minneapolis and the abort in killing of George Floyd
• April 2020 blog in Youth Today, Communities of Colour Must Exist Centered in Gun Violence Prevention Move
• November 2019 blog, Solar day-to-Day Gun Violence Deserves Our Attention
• September 2019 press release, A historic hearing on gun violence in our cities
• July 2019 press release, Governor Ralph Northam announces grant funding for community violence intervention programs
• December 2018 op-ed in The Hill, 5 gun violence prevention priorities for the incoming Congress
• November 2017 op-ed in The Hill, The path forrard for Democrats starts with gun violence prevention

Enquiry

• Abt T. (2019). Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence—and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets. Basic Books.
• Azrael D, Braga AA, & O'Brien 1000. (2012). ​Developing the capacity to understand and prevent homicide: An evaluation of the Milwaukee Homicide Review Committee. ​U.South. Department of Justice.
• Bieler S, Kijakazi K, La Vigne North, Vinik N, & Overton S. (2016). Engaging communities in reducing gun violence . Urban Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economical Studies, and Joyce Foundation.
• Braga AA, Weisburd D, & Turchan B. (2018). Focused deterrence strategies and criminal offence control: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis of the empirical bear witness. Criminology & Public Policy.
• Crifasi CK, Merrill-Francis Thousand, McCourt A, Vernick JS, Wintemute GJ, & Webster DW. (2018). Association between firearm laws and homicide in urban counties. Journal of Urban Health.
• Crifasi CK, Buggs SAL, Haul Doc, Webster DW, & Sherman SG. (2020). Baltimore's underground gun market: Availability of and access to guns. Violence and Gender.
• Jacoby SF, Dong B, Beard JH, Wieb DJ, & Morrison CN. (2018). The enduring impact of historical and structural racism on urban violence in Philadelphia. Social Science & Medicine.
• Sampson RJ, Raudenbush SW, & Earls F. (1997). Neighborhoods and violent criminal offence: A multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science.
• Wical W, Richardson J, & Bullock C. (2020). A credible messenger: The role of the violence intervention specialist in the lives of young blackness male survivors of violence. Violence and Gender.
• Wilson WJ. (2012). The truly disadvantaged: The inner metropolis, the underclass, and public policy. University of Chicago Printing.

Additional Resources

• Cure Violence
• Healing Justice Alliance
• Johns Hopkins Middle for Gun Policy and Research (JHCGPR)
• National Network for Safe Communities
• Prevention Institute: Wellness Equity in Violence Prevention
• University of Chicago Crime Lab

Final updated February 2021

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Source: https://efsgv.org/learn/type-of-gun-violence/community-gun-violence/

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