Reducing Gun Violence in Atlanta, Georgia

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Table of Contents

Strategies and Interventions
Problem-oriented policing
Hot Spots Policing
Public Health Approach
Legislature
Gun Buy-Back Programs
Barriers to Interventions
Conclusion
References

Strategies and Interventions

A number of interventions were conceived to address the problem, including legal regulations, problem-oriented operations, educational and social support services, and gun buyback programs.

Problem-oriented policing

The initiative chosen for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the approach is the Cease Fire operation. The reported success of the operation resulted in the wide adoption of its elements. Thus, by determining its efficiency, we can safely assume that its derivatives are at least to some extent as effective as source material. Besides, the popularity of the enterprise coupled with the weakness of the original research aimed at its evaluation led to speculations regarding the inadequacy of the reports. This, in turn, triggered a series of independent inquiries. Thus, Boston’s Cease-Fire operation remains one of the most rigorously researched problem-oriented initiatives. In other words, its analysis is both reliable and relevant.

Operation Ceasefire was a joint effort of the Boston Police Department and several communities and public organizations to address the unusually high crime rate associated with youth gangs. The law enforcement organizations explicitly demonstrated the policy of zero tolerance regarding gun violence and other criminal activities by “pulling every level,” i.e. utilizing every legally available punitive action. Simultaneously, the community groups created plausible alternatives to occupy youth and provided help for both victims of violence and former gang members. As a result, the reports indicated a two-thirds decrease in gun violence in the region.

Admittedly, subsequent studies suggest a successful decrease of only 31% compared to the initial situation (Braga, Hureau, & Papachristos, 2014a). However, the same source provides additional insights which strengthen the position of the event as a successful preventive measure. First, the results indicate a long-term effect: individuals who were subject to the “level-pulling” strategy tend to reduce the gun violence after the said influence is over (Braga et al., 2014a). Second, the study distinguishes the gun violence exerted by the groups which were directly impacted by the intervention from those who were only indirectly exposed to it, which can be interpreted as proof of the proxy effect adding value to the intervention. Overall, the updated results still suggest the high effectiveness of the problem-oriented approach, especially given its long-lasting effect. It is important to note that the participation of the community groups adds a public health factor, the weight of which in the current setting is unclear.

Hot Spots Policing

Another approach that gradually gains popularity is the increased attention to the so-called “hot spots,” the locations associated with a higher incidence of firearm usage. The intuitive approach to the problem is to allocate more law enforcement resources to the problematic areas. This approach, however, is controversial for two main reasons. First, there is no clarity regarding the organization of the strengthened patrols. Second, there is a possibility that the perpetrators react to the increased patrolling by moving away from the location. Nevertheless, some evidence exists that confirms the validity of the approach.

A study by Rosenfeld, Deckard, and Blackburn (2014) illustrates the success resulting from the direct increase in the number of patrolling officers. However, the results are uneven. The number of firearm assaults has reduced in the areas which were more heavily policed and showed no change in the control areas. At the same time, the number of armed robberies decreased in all locales regardless of the hot spot policing tactics (Rosenfeld et al., 2014).

However, the relative weight of the improvement can be insignificant when compared to other means of gun violence reduction. A meta-analysis suggests that the effect of hot-spot policing is comparatively small (Braga, Papachristos, & Hureau, 2014b). It is worth noting that the study by Braga et al. (2014b) highlights at least two benefits of hot spot patrolling. First, the effect of the intervention is observable in the areas bordering the hot spot, which somewhat compensates for the required resource allocation. Second, the approach improves relations between the law enforcement staff and the community.

Public Health Approach

The central premise of the public health approach is that the incidents related to firearms are caused by the lack of understanding of the risks associated with gun ownership. A range of interventions is proposed that can theoretically have a positive effect on firearm users. Some of the interventions, such as the installation of security locking devices on firearms, are speculative. Other variants, such as the ban of high-capacity clips and rapid-fire arms, are gradually adopted but are met with the disapproval of the advocates of gun rights. Finally, the most feasible interventions, such as the creation of educational campaigns and counseling services, are the most likely candidates for adoption. Some of them are occasionally implemented separately or integrated into other campaigns, such as Operation Cease Fire discussed above. Unfortunately, because of their complexity and interpenetration with other techniques, their disaggregated evaluation is challenging. A study by Makarios and Pratt (2012) illustrates an aggregated estimation of the relative inefficiency of the interventions originating from the healthcare field. However, the picture is incomplete, as the study does not feature a disaggregated score – instead, all of the interventions are collectively labeled as ineffective (Makarios & Pratt, 2012). While such a conclusion is far from comprehensive, the scarcity of research limits further discussion on the matter.

Legislature

A variety of laws has been suggested and implemented which are aimed at the criminal activities associated with firearms. Legal actions against gun violence have taken three distinct shapes. The first category includes the laws which introduce more rigorous regulations of the firearm purchasing process. The second category deals with the mandatory rules which regulate safe gun storage. This approach is expected to decrease the number of accidents resulting from unrestricted access to arms. Unfortunately, this change also implies limited access to the firearm for the owner, which renders the deterring effect of the weapon useless and encourages perpetrators (Makarios & Pratt, 2012). The third category encompasses the laws which increase the severity of punishment. The desired effect is to discourage a perpetrator from using a gun. This latter approach shows the most promise when being studied for efficiency. The growing body of evidence suggests improvement related to the introduction of the enhancements to the current punitive policies associated with gun violence. The previous categories also have some support from the evaluation studies, but the results in each case are at least partially inconsistent and contradictory.

A meta-analysis conducted by Makarios and Pratt (2012) presents the most concise picture of the situation. Of the categories described above, the laws regulating storage appear to be the least effective, usually resulting in an increase in crime rates (Makarios & Pratt, 2012). This effect, combined with the controversy of the said laws, allows us to safely discard the category as ineffective. The purchase control and the increase in the punishment severity both lead to a weak yet noticeable decrease in gun violence, and the weapon ban laws appear to be the most effective, producing almost twice the effect of that of the two previous categories combined. The overall effect of the legal interventions is weaker than that of policing campaigns.

Gun Buy-Back Programs

The least popular approach is an attempt to offer financial incentives in exchange for arms. This approach has the weakest support from the studies (Makarios & Pratt, 2012). The reason for the lack of results is likely the voluntary nature of the intervention, which is not likely to influence organized crime. Nevertheless, the lack of pressure may prove beneficial in some settings, e.g. improving cooperation between law enforcement and the public. Thus, the method may be viewed as social rather than financial in nature and can be utilized as an element in appropriate events.

Barriers to Interventions

Each of the described options has its weaknesses and presents some challenges when it comes to implementation. For instance, problem-oriented policing requires specific training for the involved staff. Besides, additional ties need to be secured with the public and community organizations and groups to provide support and appropriate community response. Hot spot policing requires high versatility of strategies and planning. Public health interventions are relatively unreliable and unpredictable. The legislative regulations are traditionally more difficult and slow to implement, in part due to the legal complexities and the conflicts with the existing laws. Finally, the buy-back initiative presents more uncertainties than potential benefits.

Conclusion

The evidence gathered from the literature allows us to make the following conclusions. First, the problem-orienting policing results in the most statistically significant reduction of gun violence, followed by hot spot policing. The former also can be combined with the participation of community groups and social organizations, which produces a long-term effect on criminal behaviors (Makarios, & Pratt, 2014). The said interventions present some difficulties in implementation, but most of them can be solved by means of organization. Finally, the previous success provides the necessary experience and highlights the core framework which can be utilized for a policing strategy in full or partially. Thus, the problem-oriented policing operation is the most effective and least complicated way to address the problem of gun violence in Atlanta.

References

Braga, A. A., Hureau, D. M., & Papachristos, A. V. (2014a). Deterring gang-involved gun violence: measuring the impact of Boston’s operation ceasefire on street gang behavior. Journal of quantitative criminology, 30(1), 113-139.

Braga, A. A., Papachristos, A. V., & Hureau, D. M. (2014b). The effects of hot spots policing on crime: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Justice Quarterly, 31(4), 633-663.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Stats of the States of Georgia. Web.

Diamond, D. (2015). How to reduce gun violence? Treat it as a public health problem. Web.

Makarios, M. D., & Pratt, T. C. (2012). The effectiveness of policies and programs that attempt to reduce firearm violence a meta-analysis. Crime & Delinquency, 58(2), 222-244.

Rosenfeld, R., Deckard, M. J., & Blackburn, E. (2014). The effects of directed patrol and self?initiated enforcement on firearm violence: A randomized controlled study of hot spot policing. Criminology, 52(3), 428-449.

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