City Gun Violence
City Gun Violence
What is the problem?
Gun violence is prevalent in many U.S. cities, particularly in historically underfunded neighborhoods. It spreads through social networks and intensifies long-standing inequities and public health disparities.
In 2015, half of all gun homicides in the U.S. took place in just 127 cities. Together, these cities contain less than a quarter of the country’s population. Nonfatal shootings are also prevalent in cities, and these injuries can have devastating consequences for the rest of a survivor’s life.
There are a wide variety of evidence-informed solutions to reducing gun violence and increasing safety in these communities. This includes violence intervention programs, Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding, and crime prevention through environmental design. City governments should partner with local advocates, residents, survivors, and researchers to ensure that applied strategies are appropriate for and responsive to local contexts.
What are the solutions?
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Violence Intervention Programs
Violence intervention programs provide evidence and community-informed, comprehensive support to individuals who are at greatest risk of gunshot victimization. These programs are shown to reduce gunshot wounds and deaths in the neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence.
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Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Assistance Funding
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) victim assistance funds are federal funds that can be used to support services for victims and survivors of gun violence. Many of the services eligible for VOCA victim assistance funds are already being provided by gun violence intervention programs, such as street outreach and hospital-based violence intervention programs. VOCA victim assistance grants should be used to help reduce gun violence and support gun violence survivors.
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Prevent Gun Trafficking
The United States lacks strong federal gun trafficking laws to crack down on illegal gun trafficking networks. Gun trafficking and straw purchasing laws could help keep guns off our streets.
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Repeal Restrictions on Gun Trace Data
Since 2003, the Tiahrt Amendments have restricted law enforcement's ability to investigate and prosecute gun crimes. This data-blocking protects corrupt gun dealers and hinders law enforcement.
Featured Resources
A Deadly Year in Cities — And How Policymakers Can Respond
The surge in gun homicides is an upward trend that is being felt in communities across the nation.
Community-led Public Safety Strategies
Communities affected by gun violence need immediate and locally driven interventions in addition to larger scale policy reform.
Gun Violence in Cities
Every year, the United States has nearly 13,000 firearm homicides.
Five Ways to Enhance the Gun Violence Prevention Strategy in Your City
Cities that have had success in preventing gun violence have used multi-disciplinary, community-led approaches to response and prevention.
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City Gun Violence
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The Impact of Gun Violence on Latinx Communities
Latinx people in the United States are dying from gun violence every day and at rates disproportionate to their white peers.
Fact SheetEl impacto de la violencia con armas de fuego en las comunidades latinx
Cada año, 3,800 personas latinx mueren de violencia con armas de fuego en los Estados Unidos.
Fact SheetCalculate the Economic Cost of Gun Violence
Examining the economic consequences of gun violence is paramount to understanding just how extensive and expensive this crisis is.
Data Tool
City Dashboard: Murder and Gun Homicide
Key Findings In 2020, murders and gun homicides increased in the US at record rates. In cities overall, murders increased by 33 percent, and gun…
Data TrackerFunding Summer Youth Programming Prevents Gun Violence
As cities develop their spending plan for American Rescue Plan funds, they should prioritize and plan funding for summer youth engagement an
Fact SheetInvisible Wounds: Gun Violence and Community Trauma among Black Americans
Persistent gun violence is harming too many Black communities in the U.S., contributing to individual, family, and community-level trauma.
Report
Gun Violence and COVID-19 in 2020: A Year of Colliding Crises
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a pronounced impact on gun violence in the United States.
Report
Hurdles to Healing: Fixing Victim Compensation Funds
VOCA victim compensation funds are available to survivors of gun violence, but obstacles and restrictions make the funds difficult to access
Fact Sheet
American Rescue Plan for Gun Violence Reduction
For over a year, local officials have been on the front lines responding to the dual public health crises of COVID-19 and gun violence.
Fact SheetThe Economic Cost of Gun Violence
Federal, state, and local governments are spending a combined average of $34.8 million each day to deal with the aftermath of gun violence.
Report
Methodological Note: A More Complete Picture
Read the Report A More Complete Picture: The Contours of Gun Injury in the United States Report…
Methodological NoteA More Complete Picture: The Contours of Gun Injury in the United States
Nonfatal gunshot wounds account for an enormous portion of the gun violence epidemic in America.
Report
What Search Data Shows About Americans and Guns During the COVID-19 Crisis
Search data for guns shows a 40 percent increase amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which is more than the surges after Sandy Hook and Parkland.
Fact Sheet
A Fund for Healing: VOCA Grants for Violence Reduction
The Needs Of Gun Violence Victims In America America’s gun homicide rate is tragic and unique—it is 25 times higher than that of other high-income…
ReportCity Gun Violence Reduction Insight Portal
CityGRIP is an online clearinghouse of data-informed gun violence reduction strategies.
Data Tracker
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design involves work to change the built environment to reduce crime and increase community safety.
Report
The Impact of Local Violence Intervention Programs
There are nearly 13,000 gun homicides in the U.S. every year There are nearly 13,000 gun homicides in the U.S. every year.1…
Fact Sheet
A Nation of Survivors: The Toll of Gun Violence in America
In a recent national poll, 58% of adult respondents said they or someone they care for have experienced gun violence in their lifetime.
Report
Five Ways to Enhance the Gun Violence Prevention Strategy in Your City
Cities that have sustained success preventing gun violence have deployed multi-disciplinary, community-involved approaches to response and prevention. Below are five steps that you can take…
Fact SheetState Firearm Preemption Laws
State firearm preemption laws are a relatively recent phenomenon inconsistent with centuries of American history in which cities and rural areas had different gun laws.
Fact SheetStrategies for Reducing Gun Violence in American Cities
Residents and leaders of America’s cities face few challenges more urgent than gun violence.
Report
A Decade of Gun Homicides in Large American Cities
One in four Americans murdered with guns die in just 30 cities. Data obtained from their police departments show that, controlling for population, their…
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