18 pg paper
Combating Gun Violence
What is Gun Violence
Gun violence includes homicide, violent crime, attempted murder, suicide, school/mass shootings, armed robbery, etc
Gun violence is violence committed with the use of firearms, for example pistols, shotguns, assault rifles or machine guns.
Gun violence can also have a mental impact on people
The Impact of Gun Violence
Item 3
In just one year 45,222 people died from gun related injuries in the US
Firearms cause 85,000 injuries
With more than 25% of children witnessing an act of violence in their homes, schools, or community over the past year, and more than 5% witnessing a shooting, it becomes not just an issue of gun regulation, but also of addressing the impact on those who have been traumatized by such violence (Finkelhor et al., 2009).
<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/ft_22-01-26_gundeaths_1/"><img src="https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/FT_22.01.26_GunDeaths_1.png?w=400"></a>
Program: Pulling Levers
Pulling Levers is program that attacks the problem of gun violence head on
Pulling Levers includes problem-oriented policing strategies that follow the core principles of deterrence theory. The strategies target specific criminal behavior committed by a small number of chronic offenders, such as youth gang members or repeat violent offenders, who are vulnerable to sanctions and punishment. The Pulling Levers Program is very Promising for reducing crime.
Corsaro and colleagues (2012) found that the High Point (N.C.) Pulling Levers had a statistically significant impact on reducing violent incidents in the target areas. Targeted census blocks (treatment group) experienced a 7.9 percent decrease in violent crime
Analysis
In the US this program is currently implemented in the following cities: Oakland, Chicago, Rockford, Indianapolis, Boston, Philadelphia, Nashville and the closest being in High Point/NC
This program has been proven to work in all of these cities having an impact on gun violence and drug related crimes
So all though Pulling levers is implemented in High Point, why is it not in our big cities where crime rates are high as well?
One of the highest rated cities for crime in NC is Durham and so far they do not have a program like Pulling Levers to combat gun violence and other crime that stems from impoverished areas.
Why Durham
Durham is the 2nd most dangerous city in NC
Durham had a murder captia of 21.5 per 100,000 which is double the national average
Why Pulling Levers?
Pulling Levers has been used in multiple cities around the nation and has been successful in targeting crime
It is also a non violent way of dealing with criminals and changing their mindset so they don’t get more involved in gang life and commit more serious offenses such as homicide or drive-bys.
If the offender chooses to be compliant with law enforcement then they will get help and treatment services. The term Pulling Levers actually comes framing a response to offenders and groups of offenders that uses a varied set of sanctions (“pulling levers”) to change offenders’ behaviors.
How Pulling Lever Works: Phase 1
Identification Phase
During the identification phase, high-density crime areas that had a strong prevalence of drugs were identified through mapping drug arrests, calls for service, reviewing serious crimes in hot spots to determine a drug connection, and finally analyzing information from various criminal justice agencies. Once these areas were identified, the police worked with the community, narcotic investigators, probation officers, and parole officers to add additional surveillance in the areas and began carefully identifying dealers in these neighborhoods. Further, the police reviewed every report associated with potential dealers and their known associates. Once these individuals became known cases were made up against each one of them
Notification :Phase 2
During the notification phase, collaboration between agencies and community groups is central to making a change. In the case of offenders who commit nonviolent and non-felony offenses, identified offenders were invited to a ‘call in’ community notification session where key police and prosecution officials notified such offenders of the sanctions that were available to criminal justice personnel. Additionally, community members spoke to the offenders regarding the need for community change and desistance from future offending.
Resource Delivery: Phase 3
Law enforcement speaks with offenders also while offenders complete a needs assessment. The law enforcement officers would inform offenders that if they continued dealing they would be arrested immediately. Since the odds are stacked against the offender they are more than likely going to be compliant. After the results from the needs assessment come back the offender will be connected to what they need such as education, drug/alcohol treatment, jobs, and even housing.
Combating Gun Violence in Stockton ,Ca
The intervention of Pulling Levers was associated with a statistically significant 42 percent decrease in the monthly number of gun homicides, compared with pre-intervention trends
The Stockton Pulling levers used mostly the same phases as the one in Highpoint
The authorities and community would let the gangs in the area know that they are under a microscope and should be cautious because they could soon be arrested
Also letting the younger members know there is another way and finding places and treatment for these juveniles
With the removal of younger gang members and the older ones under scrutiny these youth members were less likely to become killers or even victims
All of this resulted in less homicides and gun violence
Who is it going to
The letter will be addressed to the Mayor of Durham ( Elaine O’Neal) and Police Chief (Patrice Andrews)
The letter will outline the Pulling Levers Program as well as relate the specific goal of implementing such a program, it will provide the outcomes from other cities that use Pulling Levers program
Also in the letter I will bring up the amount of crime that is being committed and vouch on how I think this program will lower violent crime in the city like it had in other big cities.
Along with all that (even though its public knowledge) I would attach a way to contact other police chiefs that have implemented this program so Mrs. Andrews can get first hand account of the success of such a program.
Funding
It can be costly to fund a program like pulling levers but since it has been proven to work so well it should be a must.
The money will come from grants from the Department of Justice (DOJ) who enjoys supporting law enforcement at all levels and has given grants for Pulling Levers in the past so should see how it is beneficial for Durham to have it