"Policing Gun Violence makes the case that increasing the effectiveness of the police in gun-violence prevention is both possible and essential. It is essential because in many cities, gun violence is the most pressing crime problem, making cities less liveable and dragging down economic development. There is no good alternative to police authority for gaining control of criminal gangs and interrupting cycles of retaliation. Increasing police effectiveness is possible due to considerable advances in the understanding of what works (and what doesn't) in the strategic use of police resources. In particular, innovations such as focused deterrence, hot spots policing, procedural justice, and enhanced shooting investigations have been widely studied and offer real promise if implemented correctly. The challenges in this domain begin with the fact that low-income communities of color, which bear the brunt of gun violence, tend to be distrustful of the police. Residents of these communities often feel that they are overpoliced, due to heavy-handed tactics and all-too-common officer-involved shootings. But they also feel under-policed, as evidenced by slow response times, failure to intervene in tense situations, and low arrest rates for serious crime. A comprehensive strategy for policing gun violence requires a community focus and a commitment to reining in police misbehaviour. This book makes the case that, done correctly, policing gun violence is an urgent investment and a matter of social justice"--

This book challenges what are, for many people, deep-rooted expectations regarding the routine arming of police and compares jurisdictions in which police are routinely armed (Toronto, Canada and Brisbane, Australia) and those where police are not routinely armed (Manchester, England and Auckland, New Zealand). With a focus on Western jurisdictions and by examining a range of documentary, media and data sources, this book provides an evidence-based examination of the question: Do police really need guns? This book first provides detailed insight into the armed policing tradition and perceptions/expectations with respect to police and firearms. A range of theoretical concepts regarding policing, state power and the use of force is applied to an examination of what makes the police powerful. This is set against the minimum force tradition, which is typified by policing in England and Wales. Consideration is also given to the role played by key tropes and constructs of popular culture. Drawing on Surette’s model of symbolic reality, the book considers contrasting media traditions and the positioning of firearms within narrative arcs, especially the role of heroes. The book concludes by drawing together the key themes and findings, and considering the viability of retaining and/or moving towards non-routinely armed police.

Policing and firearms: it is a crucial relationship. Should police be routinely armed? If so, what restrictions should be imposed on the use of firearms? Where police are not routinely armed, there is still a need for specialist armed police: how do these units operate, and are they effective? This ground-breaking edited book explores the nexus between policing and firearms with a genuinely international focus. Contributors from Ireland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, Venezuela, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada explore the issues from a range of perspectives, including human rights, militarization, police legitimacy, and the risks police firearms pose to the community and to police themselves. This thought-provoking collection is an indispensable resource for law enforcement policymakers and students of policing and criminal justice.

Schools, theatres and malls used to be safe havens. Marathons were triumphal, not tragic. Today, public life is risky. Citizens are on edge, either calling for gun control or purchasing personal weapons of self-defense. In this timely book, prominent US and international authors examine gun violence in public life. They offer the latest data and analysis on topics such as comparative gun homicide rates, the efficacy of gun control, risks associated with gun ownership, concealed-carry data and policy, media and gaming violence, gender and guns, and school shootings. New insights are developed from a comparative case study of Canada, a country in which gun ownership is common but with a much lower rate of gun violence. Neither demonising nor mythologising guns, the contributors provide evidence-based analyses that shed light on policy directions and personal conduct.

An urgent look at the relationship between guns, the police, and race The United States is steeped in guns, gun violence—and gun debates. As arguments rage on, one issue has largely been overlooked—Americans who support gun control turn to the police as enforcers of their preferred policies, but the police themselves disproportionately support gun rights over gun control. Yet who do the police believe should get gun access? When do they pursue aggressive enforcement of gun laws? And what part does race play in all of this? Policing the Second Amendment unravels the complex relationship between the police, gun violence, and race. Rethinking the terms of the gun debate, Jennifer Carlson shows how the politics of guns cannot be understood—or changed—without considering how the racial politics of crime affect police attitudes about guns. Drawing on local and national newspapers, interviews with close to eighty police chiefs, and a rare look at gun licensing processes, Carlson explores the ways police talk about guns, and how firearms are regulated in different parts of the country. Examining how organizations such as the National Rifle Association have influenced police perspectives, she describes a troubling paradox of guns today—while color-blind laws grant civilians unprecedented rights to own, carry, and use guns, people of color face an all-too-visible system of gun criminalization. This racialized framework—undergirding who is “a good guy with a gun” versus “a bad guy with a gun”—informs and justifies how police understand and pursue public safety. Policing the Second Amendment demonstrates that the terrain of gun politics must be reevaluated if there is to be any hope of mitigating further tragedies.

For years proposals for gun control and the ownership of firearms have been among the most contentious issues in American politics. For public authorities to make reasonable decisions on these matters, they must take into account facts about the relationship between guns and violence as well as conflicting constitutional claims and divided public opinion. In performing these tasks, legislators need adequate data and research to judge both the effects of firearms on violence and the effects of different violence control policies. Readers of the research literature on firearms may sometimes find themselves unable to distinguish scholarship from advocacy. Given the importance of this issue, there is a pressing need for a clear and unbiased assessment of the existing portfolio of data and research. Firearms and Violence uses conventional standards of science to examine three major themes - firearms and violence, the quality of research, and the quality of data available. The book assesses the strengths and limitations of current databases, examining current research studies on firearm use and the efforts to reduce unjustified firearm use and suggests ways in which they can be improved.

Guns, Crime, and Punishment in America assembles a diverse group of the nation's leading authorities on guns and gun violence to present the most up-to-date research currently available. Exploring such controversial issues as gun- tracing initiatives, the possible extension of the Brady Bill, gun-oriented policing, federal law enforcement initiatives such as "Project Exile," and civil litigation against gun manufacturers, Guns, Crime, and Punishment in America embarks upon a more balanced and nuanced discussion about firearms. Though the book's contributors operate from a wide variety of political perspectives and methodological approaches, a central desire unifies the book: to end the extreme polarization that currently characterizes the debate on guns, and generate reasonable and practical gun policies in the United States. Contributors: Sara Sun Beale, Anthony A. Braga, Carl Bogus, Jenny Berrien, Abigail Caplovitz, Philip J. Cook, Garth Davies, Christopher Eisgruber, Jeffrey A. Fagan, Mark Geistfeld, James B. Jacobs, Dan M. Kahan, David Kairys, David B. Kopel, Sanford Levinson, Jens Ludwig, Daniel C. Richman, Jerome H. Skolnick, Richard Slotkin, Chris Winship, and Franklin E. Zimring.

Culmination of a survey and review conducted by a U.S. Department of Justice Work Group and COSMOS Corporation.

Gun violence doesn't have to be an unapproachable topic. This high interest, low reading level resource utilizes easily comprehensible timelines, maps, and reflective photographs to deliver an approachable guide to the complex issue of gun violence. Teens will gain insight into the history of gun violence as the narrative delves into the various social, economic, and cultural factors that have built the current landscape. Ending with an overview of gun violence prevention efforts and gun safety, this book encourages readers to engage in critical thinking in order to solve current issues and look toward the future.