Engaging Communities

Chicago advocacy
Chicago advocacy

Gun violence is a uniquely American problem, but it does not impact all of our communities equally. In particular, gun homicide has a disparate impact on urban Black and Brown communities. Guns don't simply appear in these communities. A small percentage of gun dealers engage in irresponsible or even illegal behavior — selling guns that get trafficked into areas of high crime. Yet, most cities impacted by gun violence do not have many, if any, licensed gun dealers. Instead, gun dealers typically sit outside these communities, frequently in less diverse and more affluent suburbs, and profit off of irresponsible or illegal sales that contribute to violence in Black and Brown communities. 

That's why a critical part of Brady's Combating Crime Guns program is collaborating with the communities most impacted to build engagement around racially-just supply-side solutions.

Milwaukee safe sound

STORY: MILWAUKEE, WI

Milwaukee safe sound

In Milwaukee, Brady has worked with Safe & Sound in two highly impacted neighborhoods to measure public awareness of the role of the gun industry in local gun crime. There are no gun stores in Milwaukee, yet the majority of Wisconsin’s gun crime occurs in the city. About half of the residents surveyed said they had personally been affected by neighborhood gun violence, and 70% felt guns could be obtained quickly and easily. When asked about the most likely methods of obtaining guns, stealing, borrowing, and buying off the street scored among the most likely. Police data confirmed that stolen guns are a disproportionate concern in these neighborhoods and that in 2022, half of the stolen guns were stolen from cars. The neighborhood has invited Brady and Safe & Sound to work with them on a public awareness campaign to encourage safe gun storage to deter theft.

COMBATING CRIME GUNS

Local Programs

  • Oakland, CA

    In Oakland, we work to build coalitions with community-based gun violence prevention organizations that work hand in hand with communities and individuals most impacted by violence. Brady’s Oakland Combating Crime Guns team serves as a member of the Violence Prevention Coalition and the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) grant program. The Oakland initiative also works with local law enforcement and key stakeholders to ensure that important information is continually released to the public.

  • Chicago, IL

    In Chicago, our work includes strategic partnerships with several citywide and neighborhood organizations such as LiveFree Illinois, Hustle Mommies, Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, and One Aim to host an annual Crime Guns Summit, conduct trainings to encourage residents to engage with local leaders, share the stories of survivors and activists with the media and elected officials, and reform local procurement policies to incentivize gun dealer reform.

  • Milwaukee, WI

    In Milwaukee, we operate under the guidance of the citywide Blueprint for Peace plan. Brady’s Milwaukee team works with local law enforcement, the Office of Violence Prevention, Safe and Sound, and other community groups to shift the burden of crime prevention from city residents to the suburban gun dealers who are the primary source of the city’s illegal guns.

Brady ca mattie shikha

STORY: OAKLAND, CA

Brady ca mattie shikha

In 2019, District Attorney Nancy O’Malley in Alameda County, CA, released a public-facing gun trace report, including the names of dealers sourcing crime guns. This report resulted from the advocacy of the Oakland Gun Tracing Group — a collective of residents and organizations co-founded by Brady Chapter leaders. The Oakland Gun Tracing Group meets with law enforcement agencies to educate them on the value of gun trace data in reducing the flow of crime guns into the Oakland community. In 2023, California went on to release its first-ever statewide trace report as a result of a new law that was passed, in part, thanks to the advocacy of Brady California.

A GREAT DEAL OF THE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH GUN VIOLENCE HAPPENS LONG BEFORE ANYONE PULLS A TRIGGER.

Combating Crime Guns: A Supply-Side Approach

  • IDENTIFYING PROBLEMATIC GUN DEALERS

    Identifying problematic gun dealers through ATF inspection reports and crime gun trace data.

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  • REFORMING THE GUN INDUSTRY

    Encouraging firearm businesses to adopt safe and responsible business practices

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