The Strategic Prevention of Gun Violence Among Gang-Involved Offenders

• Published in: Justice quarterly Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 132 - 162
• Main Authors: Braga, Anthony A., Pierce, Glenn L., McDevitt, Jack, Bond, Brenda J., Cronin, Shea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 01.03.2008; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Community policing; Crime Prevention; Crisis intervention; Firearm accidents & safety; Firearms; gang-involved offenders; Gangs; gun violence; Intervention; Massachusetts; Program Evaluation; strategic prevention; Violence; Lowell Massachusetts
• ISSN: 0741-8825; 1745-9109
• DOI: 10.1080/07418820801954613

Problem-oriented policing has been suggested as a promising way to understand and prevent complex gang violence problems. A number of jurisdictions have been experimenting with new problem-oriented frameworks to understand and respond to gun violence among gang-involved offenders. These interventions are based on the "pulling levers" deterrence strategy that focuses criminal justice and social service attention on a small number of chronically offending gang members responsible for the bulk of urban gun violence problems. As part of the US Department of Justice-sponsored Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, an interagency task force implemented a pulling levers strategy to prevent gang-related gun violence in Lowell, Massachusetts. Our impact evaluation suggests that the pulling levers strategy was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the monthly number of gun homicide and gun-aggravated assault incidents. A comparative analysis of gun homicide and gun-aggravated assault trends in Lowell relative to other major Massachusetts cities also supports a unique program effect associated with the pulling levers intervention.