Addressing gun violence requires leadership and coordination. Governments at the federal, state, and local level have chosen to address the challenge by establishing offices of gun violence prevention. These offices enable a unified gun violence prevention strategy, can coordinate violence prevention efforts across different agencies and organizations, and can provide a hub for data collection and the sharing of information and resources. 

An office of gun violence prevention (OGVP) can develop and implement evidence-based, multi-disciplinary strategies tailored to the specific needs and challenges of the jurisdiction. This includes initiatives related to community violence intervention, safe storage, preventing gun trafficking, and gun industry accountability. An OGVP can also promote clearer communication and alignment between the many stakeholders involved in the fight against gun violence, including law enforcement, public health departments, social services providers, advocates, schools, and community-based organizations.¹ 

States and localities often tailor the form of their offices to the needs of their jurisdictions. At a minimum, these offices should support community-led violence intervention programs. 

Governmental leaders, such as the president or state governors, often have the authority to establish an office of gun violence prevention through executive action without legislation. Sometimes, these efforts lead to the codification of these offices at a later time, ensuring that these offices and their efforts can continue across future administrations.

In September 2023, President Biden created the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The Office, overseen by Vice President Harris, was tasked with: 

As tasked, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention identified and executed over 50 executive actions and led the administration’s implementation of the BSCA. Specifically, the Office helped finalize a rule clarifying who should be licensed to engage in the business of dealing in firearms, directed millions of dollars to community violence intervention programs and school-based intervention and prevention programs, engaged with states on the use of BSCA funds for extreme risk protection orders, and worked with states to help them implement and understand the BSCA’s expanded background checks for purchasers under 21 and prohibitions for abusive dating partners. 

Providing coordinated support for gun violence survivors, the Office created the first-ever federal gun violence emergency response team. The Office also partnered with states and cities, helping them navigate the numerous federal resources available to address gun violence, and community leaders, many of whom were gun violence survivors working in their communities to reduce violence. 

The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention was effectively shuttered in January 2025 by President Trump. 

Some states have created formal offices of gun violence prevention. The following statewide offices have been codified into law and, at a minimum, support violence intervention programs:

In addition, the following programs and offices serve one or more of the functions of a formal office of gun violence prevention or intervention. Each of these was created either via legislative enactment or through executive action of state officials. 

The entities listed above are housed within a variety of governmental offices, including offices of state attorneys general, offices related to public health, offices related to crime deterrence or public safety, or state’s governor’s offices. Offices that are created by the state attorney general and are housed in the attorney general’s office often take a more prosecutorial approach. They focus on the enforcement of laws, the prosecution of gun-related crimes, law enforcement-based prevention, and the strengthening of commonsense gun laws.

Offices that are housed in state offices that are more public health focused, whether established by statute or executive order, often take a more collaborative and community-oriented approach. These offices often treat gun violence as a public health crisis and are victim-focused. They leverage the community as a tactic to curb gun violence by implementing community-based violence intervention strategies. They also prioritize partnerships, working with various agency partners across the states they serve.

Offices that are housed in offices related to public safety and crime reduction take a public safety approach to gun violence prevention. Similarly to public health–based offices, they support and foster community-led efforts to eradicate gun violence. They tend to focus on the deterrence of gun violence through law enforcement and community intervention. They also focus on prevention and intervention in communities heavily impacted by violence.

Offices that are housed in the state governor’s office take a more policy-oriented approach to gun violence prevention. Their efforts are still informed by public health and safety strategies, but these offices focus more on policy and work with legislators and the governor to implement gun violence prevention and intervention policies.

In addition to state-level efforts, many cities and counties across the country have also created local offices of gun violence prevention. Local OGVPs similarly vary in approach and are often tailored to the needs of the jurisdiction. For example, in April 2021, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced the launch by executive order of the city’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This new office was created with a goal to “coordinate, fund and evaluate public health gun violence reduction interventions and their outcomes.” 

Similarly, the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) in the City of Richmond, California focuses on “establishing partnerships and strategies to achieve lasting reductions in firearm-related assaults, retaliations, and fatalities. ONS directs gun violence prevention and intervention initiatives, particularly targeting individuals at high risk of involvement in gun violence. Their outreach efforts aim to provide credible and tailored opportunities as alternatives to street violence and criminal activities, contributing to greater community well-being and public safety.”

The strongest version of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention: