Passing gun safety laws isn’t enough—these laws must be effectively and equitably implemented in order to save lives.
Just as there is no one cause of gun violence, there is no single solution that will end all gun violence. Each type of gun violence calls for a diverse set of policies and tools that can be applied to prevent and intervene most effectively. Our Implementation Toolkit for Gun Safety Laws provides more information for government and court officials on how to do this.
THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPLEMENTATION
Robust implementation of gun safety laws and community-based approaches to violence prevention is critical to ensuring that policies and procedures are shared widely, understood sufficiently, and resourced appropriately. Policies should also be developed with input from a diverse set of stakeholders and applied fairly in order to prevent unintended negative consequences.
GIFFORDS has extensive experience working with policymakers, communities, and organizations on implementing gun laws. We convene stakeholders, provide examples of policies, and offer technical assistance and training to address specific issues, concerns, and challenges. We’re also committed to identifying connections between various types of gun violence to support effective interventions and coordination among key stakeholders.
In addition to the resources here, our reports provide examples of how various policies and approaches have been or could be implemented, including, for example, use of extreme risk protection orders in Broward County, Florida, and the results of community violence prevention work in Oakland, California. In summer 2023, a year after the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed into law, we published a report analyzing the law’s implementation and making recommendations for improvement.
HERE TO HELP
Interested in partnering with us to draft, enact, or implement lifesaving gun safety legislation in your community? Our attorneys provide free assistance to lawmakers, public officials, and advocates working toward solutions to the gun violence crisis.
CONTACT US
THE FACTS
Source
A. M. Zeoli, et al., “Analysis of the Strength of Legal Firearms Restrictions for Perpetrators of Domestic Violence and Their Associations With Intimate Partner Homicide,” American Journal of Epidemiology 187, no. 11 (2018): 2365–2371.
Source
Jeffrey W. Swanson, et al., “Implementation and Effectiveness of Connecticut’s Risk–based Gun Removal Law: Does it Prevent Suicides,” Law & Contemporary Problems 80, (2017): 179–208; Jeffrey W. Swanson, et al., “Criminal Justice and Suicide Outcomes with Indiana’s Risk-Based Gun Seizure Law,” The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, (2019).
Source
Budget Act of 2022, Assemb. 178, 45 (2022). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB178
IMPLEMENTATION RESOURCES
ImpLEMENTATION Checklist
This implementation checklist helps stakeholders ensure diverse representation and verify that key action steps are identified early in the process.
VIEWImplementation toolkit
Just as there is no one cause of gun violence, there is no single solution that will end all gun violence. Each type of gun violence calls for a diverse set of policies and tools that can be applied to prevent and intervene most effectively.
VIEWACTION TEMPLATE
A coordinated, community response to gun violence prevention is crucial to effective implementation—this template helps communities plan next steps.
VIEWBSCA ONe
Our report, Implementing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: One Year In, analyzes this historical law’s implementation and how it can be further improved.
ViewCVI & Domestic Violence
This webinar focuses on how community violence intervention (CVI) workers address domestic violence, helping to reduce risks and increase safety for all.
VIEWSEEKING HELP BROCHURE
An example of information communities can provide when there are concerns that individuals with access to firearms may hurt themselves or others. Produced in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
VIEWJOIN THE FIGHT
Gun violence costs our nation 40,000 lives each year. We can’t sit back as politicians fail to act tragedy after tragedy. Giffords Law Center brings the fight to save lives to communities, statehouses, and courts across the country—will you stand with us?
