The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Gun violence prevention must be part of racial injustice solution
We are in the midst of an historic opportunity to begin the process of eradicating the systemic racism and injustice that has afflicted black people and other marginalized communities from before the founding fathers declared their intention to form a “more perfect union.” Although their words recognized that achieving justice and equality is a journey, not a destination, history and recent events have again made evident that black Americans were excluded from the outset, and are still not fully part of that journey.
Black Lives Matter protests have swept Connecticut; the conversations they have ignited are encouraging. There are hopeful signs that substantive changes are possible that will address police brutality and improve access to economic opportunity, education, health equity and affordable housing, to name a few. Equally important is tackling gun violence, especially as it impacts black and brown communities.
While Connecticut has the sixth lowest rate of gun deaths in the nation, gun violence in our communities of color is far too prevalent. Just this week in Bridgeport there were five shootings in less than 24 hours. Gun violence in Connecticut disproportionately takes the lives of African Americans; approximately 56 percent of the state’s gun homicide victims are black, five times the proportion who live here.
The conclusion is inescapable: Community gun violence must be a priority if Connecticut is to address racial injustice. The solutions must go beyond policing. Law enforcement-focused approaches are not enough to stop the violence. And as the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and others have made clear, we must not only admit that police violence exists, we must confront it head on. The simple truth is, police violence is gun violence.
CT Against Gun Violence and a broad coalition of organizations are calling on the state to create a Standing Commission to Prevent Community Gun Violence. The commission would be tasked with identifying, funding, implementing and overseeing evidencebased, community-centric programs and strategies to reduce gun violence, especially where it impacts communities of color.
There are a range of communitybased programs that have proven track records of success. The three main strategies are being used in Connecticut’s urban centers: hospitalbased violence intervention, on-theground violence interrupters and focused deterrence. What the strategies have in common is a philosophy centered on local interventions to disrupt conflict and cycles of retaliation by engaging with the small proportion of individuals, mostly young men, who are either the perpetrators or victims of gun violence.
The key challenge is the struggle these programs have in attracting and maintaining funding, despite evidence of saving lives. It is a sad reflection of institutional racism that puts a lower value on black and brown lives than those of whites. In 2014 the state awarded a $50 million grant to rebuild the Sandy Hook Elementary School, but in 2017 could not find $308,000 to fully fund Project Longevity, the focused deterrence program with demonstrated evidence of reducing group memberinvolved shootings. The comparison is not meant to diminish the pain of the Newtown community, but rather to demonstrate the disparity that exists when it comes to addressing the same trauma in urban communities.
A standing commission, with dedicated funding, is needed to address community gun violence, and is long overdue. It should have participation from community leaders, executive branch agencies, state and local elected officials, urban and public health experts, law enforcement and gun violence prevention advocates — constituencies that have a stake in reducing community gun violence.
Legislative precedent exists around the nation for establishing and funding ongoing commissions to address community gun violence, including in Massachusetts, California and New Jersey.
Connecticut has long been a leader in gun violence prevention. It needs to show leadership now, more than ever, to reduce gun violence that victimizes and destroys the lives of black and brown people and the communities in which they live. The state should invest in the organizational infrastructure to find, fund and follow these programs. A Standing Commission to Prevent Community Gun Violence should be a priority for legislators and the governor; discussions for how to move forward should begin now. Jeremy Stein is the executive director of CT Against Gun Violence. These organizations that serve communities of color in Connecticut and work to end gun violence endorse the op-ed: Center for Leadership and Justice, COMPASS Youth Collaborative, CT Violence Intervention Program, Danbury Area Justice Network, Hang Time & Her Time, Hartford Communities That Care, Helping Young People Evolve, Mothers and Others for Justice, Mothers United Against Violence, New Haven Healing Garden for Victims of Gun Violence, Newtown Action Alliance, Peace Center of Connecticut, Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership, and StreetSafe Bridgeport.