Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Approach One significant environmental factor that influences the prevalence of lethal violence in high-risk areas is a concentration of blighted properties.1Matthew Valasik, Elizabeth E. Brault, and Stephen M. Martinez, “Forecasting Homicide in the Red Stick: Risk Terrain Modeling and the Spatial Influence of Urban Blight on… Read More
Transform public spaces where crime occurs into safe, community-centered places.
NICS Denials Investigations
Approach The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is used by firearm background check examiners, either at the FBI or, in some states, by agencies known as points of contact, to determine whether a prospective buyer is eligible to purchase a firearm.1… Read More
Investigate background check denials to identify individuals who may be at-risk of committing violence.
Multi-Discipline Homicide & Shooting Incident Reviews
Approach While many police agencies make it a regular practice to review gun-related homicides and non-fatal shootings internally and to form violence prevention strategies based on this information (i.e., CompStat and similar practices), expanding this practice to include organizations outside of the policing or criminal justice field can be beneficial. Read More
Convene stakeholders to review homicide and shooting incidents and develop intervention and prevention strategies.
Open Data and Transparency
Approach The transparency created by open data promotes co-ownership of gun violence reduction with community members. To promote these principles, many agencies have increasingly begun sharing open data with the public.1National Police Foundation, “Police Data Initiative,” accessed June 13, 2019, https://www.policedatainitiative.org/; Laura Neitzel, “How Police Can… Read More
Share law enforcement and city data with the community to build trust and improve community-based services.