Approaches to reducing community gun violence Flashcards
Describe other (non law enforcement) violence prevention strategies:
Individual level: cognitive behavioral therapy e.g. Roca,
employment and workforce development like Baltimore’s summer jobs program
Built environment: vacant housing remediation, increase in greenspace
Structural: policies (see other question)
No evidence to support gun buy back programs (use public money to buy back guns, no questions asked. First program piloted in Baltimore in 1970s
Describe gun policy- what are policies, at what level are those being decided? (what is state and what is federal).
Most is at the state level.
Fed doesn’t allow felons, juveniles, seriously mentally ill
Power of cities is at the polls- voting for candidates who will propose/fight for state gun legislation they support
Comprehensive background checks: no protective effects- many who are violent arent prohibited, weak enforcement so poor compliance
Domestic violence restraining orders: cant sell firearm to anyone convicted of domestic violence misdemeanor – effective when broadly applied: covered dating partners, ex parte orders (one party not present) and included relinquishment provisions
Purchaser licensing or permit to purchase: requires person to apply for a license at local law enforcement agency. Application may include background check, fingerprinting, and potentially evidence of handgun safety training
Concealed carry: (may issue, no issue, permitless, shall issue)- research shows adopting shall issue (From may issue) associated with higher gun violence.
Permitless: no special vetting or licensing of individuals who wish to carry concealed firearms in public
Shall issue: relatively modest requirements for legal gun owners to carry firearms concealed outside of home
May issue: provide law enforcement considerable discretion over who they issue a license to carry and often require applicants to prove they have good/soecial cause for needing to carry a concealed gun
No state anymore has no issue (no one can carry, many states had in 1980)
Maryland is one of a few states left that is may issue
Describe Bruen case and implications
Deemed unconstitutional a fairly restrictive may issue law for people to show a special need beyond that of the general public to carry gun in public
Allowing states to challenge the constitutionality of their concealed carry laws
You connect drugs and violence. What types of drug markets?
the illicit nature of drug markets creates a system in which disputes are not resolved by traditional or government institutions and instead are resolved through informal justice, often through predatory or retaliatory acts of violence- this creates a cycle
There are the smaller psychopharmacological impacts of drugs and addictive effects of drugs on aggression but mostly it is the systemic violence associated with the drug markets themselves
Marijuana drug markets particularly not known to be associated with violence
Markets that are more heavily policed likely have more violence: causes suspicion of fake dealers and buyers, leads people to rush exchanges, turns people into “snitches” /fear of snitches
Disputes over territory which can be influenced and disrupted by police
Why are poverty and gun violence related?
High poverty is associated with violence, but income inequality is a better predictor
Poverty is associated with low educational attainment, high gun availability, low number of positive male role models and two parent households
Income inequality associated with concentrated disadvantage, poor police community relations, legal cynicism
Concentrated disadvantage is the legacy of systemic racism in the US: enslavement, jim crow segregation, redlining, racist criminal legal system that has resulted in mass incarceration of racial minorities
Interrelated: lack of formal employment opportunities, lack of social supports/social infrastructure/collective efficacy, legal cynicism
What high targeted law enforcement interventions have been shown to reduce violence? What has not been effective?
Interventions that target hot people (vs. Hot places) have in general shown to be more effective. Interventions that are gang/group interventions better than individuals
I reference a meta analysis of focused deterrence strategies that show an overall reduction in crime
Idea is to have an “intervention” where law enforcement and community members come together and communicate risks directly of violating the law (heightened surveillance, will punish harshly activities) and offer with informal social controls- services for employment assistance, vocational training, and social support from community
Focused deterrence was previously implemented in Baltimore- had mixed effectiveness. People felt the right people werent being targeted, social support arm undersupported, then Freddie Gray happened. Program has been reimplemented under mayor scott
What do you think the relationship between police and safe streets is? What should it be?
Qualitative interviews of CV staff in NYC demonstrated a large disconnect- staff intentionally distanced themselves and did not work with police because it reduced trust/credibility with you
My understanding is relationship is a little more nuanced in baltimore. There is collaboration. Sometimes SS workers receive some additional police protection.
Ideally there is a strong partnership where there is data sharing and collaboration between the two to actually break the transmission of disease as the model suggests.
How is discriminatory policing measured?
Neighborhood level analysis of stop and frisk data in NYC. Use of force concentrated in black neighborhoods, use of force more severe in Black neighborhoods (incidents per population, average use of force score)
What are the individual and community impacts of incarceration?
Individual: restricted employment opportunities and discrimination in hiring, earn lower wages, weaker social networks, increased violent peers, stigma, missed educational opportunities
Community: loss of working age adults in the community, exposure to infectious disease, shifting public resources from health and social supports to penal system
How is that 305 billion spent on the criminal justice system? What is the budget of Safe Streets? What was police budget?
150 billion on police. Corrections and judicial/legal functions (courts) each a little over 60 billion
2022 budget was 1.5 million from city general funds. 3.6 million in tate grant dollars.
ARPA funding contributing to new vision of CVI ecosystem (stronger partnerships with hospital based partners, expand victim services and victim family services, increase collaboration with other programs like YAP and and Roca, integrate with GVRS
Baltimore police budget: 560 million!!
