Vera Institute of Justice

Overview

This paper is designed for law enforcement and public safety agencies in the United States and worldwide that are looking for effective strategies to reduce gun violence and gun trafficking, which are growing problems worldwide. In the United States, despite a historic drop in crime since 1994, there has been a slight increase in gun crimes nationally in last few years. In contrast to the recent national trends, gun violence has decreased in New York City, a leader in reducing crime. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) attributes these declines to a range of initiatives it has implemented to combat gun violence. The paper describes seven of the strategies that the NYPD, in cooperation with other government agencies, has implemented to reduce gun violence, as described by the NYPD officials who manage them. The document also includes a section on resources for further information about gun violence reduction strategies.