Category Archives: Gun Violence Prevention

FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Actions to Fight Crime and Make Our Communities Safer

March For Our Lives, New York City, 2022. The Biden Administration reviewed actions taken to make communities safer from gun violence, bringing down murder rates from the Trump-era’s record high in 2020. But President Biden continues to urge Congress to take commonsense actions to prevent and combat crime and advance public safety. Congress should enact universal background checks, require safe storage of firearms, and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. It should pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to advance accountability, transparency, and public trust in law enforcement. Building public trust advances public safety. And it should pass the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigations Methods (VICTIM) Act to help communities solve murders and violent gun crimes as well as support victims. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

President Biden delivered remarks on the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions to fight crime and make our communities safer. The Administration has taken a three-part approach to public safety and fighting crime: funding effective, accountable policing; investing in intervention and prevention strategies; and keeping especially dangerous guns off our streets and out of dangerous hands.

“My administration is going to choose progress over politics, and communities across the country are safer as a result of that policy,” President Biden declared. “There is no greater responsibility than to ensure the safety of families, children, communities, and our nation.” 

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) and the Department of Labor (DOL) hosted a roundtable on improving job opportunities for communities affected by gun violence and discuss the connection between workforce development and violence intervention and prevention.

During the roundtable, DOL also discussed its Growth Opportunities Program, which provides up to $85 million to improve job opportunities for youth in communities affected by violence and poverty. This recently announced funding opportunity supports programs that provide skills training through work-based learning, employment services, educational support and mentorship to youth and young adults in communities affected by violence, crime and poverty.

These funds provided by the Growth Opportunities Program build on efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to prevent crime and promote public safety, including $15 billion provided by the President’s American Rescue Plan to support additional police officers, expand community violence intervention, add crisis responders, and more. While the President’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) — the most significant gun safety legislation in the last 30 years — provides $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives, in addition to key investments for schools to expand mental health services and violence intervention programs. 

The positive impacts of the President’s strategy to prevent and reduce crime and gun violence nationwide are already apparent. According to 2023 FBI data, there has been a significant drop in crime – including one of the largest yearly declines in homicides ever. By comparison, during the final year of the prior administration in 2020, the United States saw the largest increase in murders ever recorded. Key provisions created by the BCSA are beginning to deliver results in making communities safer against gun violence, including recent announcements by the Department of Justice on stopping more than 500 illegal gun purchases by people under 21 years old who presented a danger to our communities, and hundreds of charges brought by the Justice Department for illegal gun purchases and firearms trafficking.

“The President knows more can and must be done, which is why OGVP, overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, continues to identify executive orders to save lives, while also announcing new initiatives to encourage action at the state and local level,” a White House official stated. “This past December, the Vice President convened 100 state legislators at the White House to launch the Biden-Harris Administration’s Safer States Initiative, providing states with additional tools and the support they need to reduce gun violence—and we have already seen states begin to answer the call and implement these critical measures. Last month, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice, also announced new executive actions to help promote safe storage of firearms that implement President Biden’s Executive Order on promoting safe gun storage, which has been shown to dramatically reduce children’s risk of self-inflicted harm and unintentional shootings.”

These are just a few examples of the progress that is being made under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris to protect our communities, schools and children, and end the epidemic of gun violence that is leaving empty seats at dinner tables across the country. 

The Second Gentleman also continues to show up for communities affected by gun violence, meeting with victims and families in Parkland, Florida; Uvalde, Texas; Highland Park, Illinois; and the Tree of Life Community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This past December, the Second Gentleman also delivered remarks at the 11th Annual Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence.

The White House provided this fact sheet reviewing the Biden-Harris administration’s actions to fight crime and make communities safer. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is hearing a case challenging the ban on bump stocks that turn assault weapons into illegal machine guns.

During the previous Administration, America saw the largest increase in murders ever recorded in 2020; Under the Biden-Harris Administration, there has been a significant decrease in crime – including one of the largest yearly declines in homicides ever.

The historic declines in crime mean that America is safer. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken a three-part approach to public safety and fighting crime: funding effective, accountable policing; investing in intervention and prevention strategies; and keeping especially dangerous guns off our streets and out of dangerous hands.
 
That balanced approach is the hallmark of the President’s Safer America Plan, which calls on Congress to invest $37 billion to support law enforcement and crime prevention, including by funding 100,000 additional police officers for accountable community policing, consistent with the standards set out in the President’s executive order on policing; community violence intervention and crisis responders; and commonsense gun reforms such as background checks.
 
And states and localities have adopted this balanced approach through one of the largest investments ever in public safety:  The President’s American Rescue Plan – which every Republican elected official in Congress voted against – has helped states and over one thousand cities, towns, and counties across the country to invest over $15 billion to public safety and violence prevention. Communities have invested those funds to support additional police officers, expand community violence intervention, add crisis responders, and more.  And today we are seeing real results:  Cities around the country are experiencing historic declines in violent crime, and homicides are estimated to be down nationally 12% from 2022 to 2023.  
 
By comparison, during the final year of the Trump Administration in 2020, the United States saw the largest increase in murders ever recorded.
 
Communities have leveraged funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan to reduce crime:
 

  • Detroit invested more than $100 million for public safety, including to pay bonuses that enabled the city to hire 200 new police officers, advance community violence intervention, and expand teams of police and mental health professionals who can respond to people in crisis. In 2023, Detroit had its fewest homicides since 1966, with an 18% decline from 2022.
     
  • Milwaukee invested over $40 million to pay new officers engaging in community policing, fund gun crime investigations, and increase the number of dispatchers to handle 911 calls. The city improved city street lighting, supported community violence intervention efforts, and expanded summer programs for at-risk youth.  The city and county of Milwaukee also partnered with the state of Wisconsin to invest $28 million more on anti-violence efforts, including to reduce dramatically the court backlog of violent crime cases. In 2023, homicides in Milwaukee dropped 20%. 
     
  • Philadelphia invested millions in group-violence intervention and community crisis intervention programs. It also partnered with the state of Pennsylvania to devote $45 million more to upgrade the city’s crime lab, reduce gun violence, and investigate and prosecute violent gun crimes, as well as further support violence intervention and prevention. In 2023, Philadelphia experienced record crime declines, including a 20% drop in homicides and a 28% decline in nonfatal shootings.
     
  • Chicago invested $100 million for public safety, including $16 million for community violence intervention focused on those at the highest risk of violence, $15 million to support alternative responders for 911 calls involving health crises, $30 million for youth intervention and diversion programs, and $10 million to support victims of crime. In addition to these targeted investments to reduce violence, Chicago is making additional significant investments to expand opportunity for young people – including hiring nearly 25,000 young people over the summer and investing $53 million for youth employment programs. Chicago also received $6.25 million in grants from the Department of Justice to hire or retain 50 additional officers. Chicago saw a 13% drop in homicides in 2023, and nonfatal shootings declined 17%.

 
The President’s Safer America Agenda:
 
Funding Effective, Accountable Policing
 

  • In 2023, the Department of Justice alone provided state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies, research institutions, and nonprofit organizations nearly $5.8 billion to advance public safety, $1 billion more than just two years earlier. Those grants included more than $200 million to fund 1,730 new police officers in nearly 400 communities.  The Department of Justice’s 2023 grant funding also included more than $173 million in site-based funding to improve school safety.      
     
  • The President signed and is continuing to implement a historic Executive Order to advance police reform which required that federal law enforcement agencies ban chokeholds, strengthen use-of-force policies, restrict no-knock warrants, and direct other measures to advance effective, accountable policing that increases public safety.

 
Investing in Violent Crime Prevention and Intervention
 
President Biden has secured historic investments in crime prevention and intervention strategies, including strategies to prevent crime. For example:
 

  • President Biden secured the first-ever federal funding solely dedicated to community violence interventions, and has increased funding for violence intervention programs.
     
  • The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act includes the biggest ever one-time investment in mental health through the Department of Education, to help students deal with a range of mental health issues, including the trauma resulting from gun violence. To date, nearly $300 million has been distributed and will help to hire or train 14,000 mental health professionals for our schools.
     
  • Thanks to the President’s leadership and through the historic resources in the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, HHS has increased funding for mobile crisis teams and training for first responders and law enforcement to respond appropriately and safely to people with mental health challenges. DOJ has funded the creation and delivery of de-escalation training.
     
  • The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act secured $750 million to support crisis interventions.

 
Keeping Dangerous Guns Out of Our Communities and Guns Out of Dangerous Hands
 
President Biden and his Administration have taken more executive action to reduce gun crime than any other President. For example:

  • After hearing from law enforcement that they were increasingly finding “ghost guns” at crime scenes, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives issued a final rule to rein in the proliferation of these unserialized firearms.
     
  • The Justice Department launched five new law enforcement strike forces focused on addressing significant firearms trafficking corridors that have diverted guns to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and Washington, D.C. 

In addition, President Biden secured confirmation of Steve Dettelbach to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – after this critical law enforcement agency lacked confirmed leadership since 2015. Under Director Dettelbach’s leadership, ATF is driving data-driven prioritization to focus on the gun dealers most closely connected to gun violence and have revoked the licenses of those that have endangered public safety by willfully violating the law ATF is also partnering with state and local officials to establish joint Crime Gun Intelligence Centers to bring gun trafficking and violent crime prosecutions.
 
In 2022, the President signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act—the most significant gun violence prevention legislation in nearly 30 years. That law includes:
 

  • The first ever federal gun trafficking and straw purchasing law, which has allowed the Department of Justice to charge more than 300 defendants.
     
  • Broadening the definition of who must become a licensed dealer and run background checks before selling guns.
     
  • Enhanced background checks for gun purchasers under the age of 21, which has already helped stop the transfer of firearms to prohibited persons under 21 more than 600 times.

 
In 2023, the President established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to accelerate his work to reduce gun crime and other forms of gun violence.
 
Congress Needs to Act. The President also continues to urge Congress to take commonsense actions to prevent and combat crime and advance public safety. Congress should enact universal background checks, require safe storage of firearms, and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. It should pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to advance accountability, transparency, and public trust in law enforcement. Building public trust advances public safety. And it should pass the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigations Methods (VICTIM) Act to help communities solve murders and violent gun crimes as well as support victims.
 
Despite the progress we have made, we can and must do more to reduce crime and save lives. President Biden will continue to call on Republican elected officials in Congress to support these lifesaving law enforcement actions rather than standing in the way.

White House Announces New Actions to Promote Safe Storage of Firearms


Teachers, parents, students are pleading for their lives: stop mass shootings © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Parents of mass-shooter Ethan Crumbley, the teenager who in 2021 opened fire at his high school in Oxford, Michigan, murdering four classmates and wounding others, are on trial themselves for negligent homicide. They not only bought their 15 year old the gun and ammunition, but left it around for him and ignored clear signs of his desire to commit the heinous crime (he drew a picture of the gun and scrawled “Help Me”).  Then, when he brought the gun to school, even though they were sitting with the guidance counselor and administrators that very morning, they never bothered to mention he had access to a gun. In fact, he had the gun with him, and proceeded to massacre his classmates. Because he could. He has since been sentenced to life in prison.

Too many are massacred – especially in schools – because of such cavalier attitude to guns, in fact, complete irresponsibility of parents and guardians

A six-year old nearly killed his teacher.

A 3-year-old boy found a gun in his mother’s purse and accidentally shot his 2-year-old brother, fatally wounding him.

Children have grown up without their mother, murdered in her home by two boys who were suspended from school and spent their time robbing homes; in one, they took the gun they used to murder her so she wouldn’t be able to identify them.

It’s time people were held accountable for storing their firearms safely, so can’t be taken by a child or a burglar.

Isn’t that the argument that gun-holders claim in rejecting sensible gun violence prevention laws? That they are “responsible”?

The White House has recently issued new actions to promote safe-storage of firearms. – Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new executive actions to help promote safe storage of firearms that implement President Biden’s Executive Order on promoting safe gun storage in order to reduce gun violence and make our communities safer.

Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children in America. That is why the Biden-Harris Administration is taking comprehensive action to prevent gun violence affecting children. Approximately 4.6 million children live in homes with unsecured firearms. Studies show that safe storage can dramatically reduce children’s risk of self-inflicted harm and unintentional shootings.
 
Safe storage of firearms can physically prevent youth from accessing firearms, helping to keep youth, schools, and communities safe from gun violence. Unsecured guns are also closely associated with school shootings, youth suicide, unintentional shootings, and theft of firearms.

  • 76 percent of school shootings are committed with guns from the home. The Department of Homeland Security’s National Threat Assessment Center reviewed targeted school violence over the past 40 years and found that three-quarters of school shooters acquired their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative.
  • 80 percent of firearm suicides by children (age 18 or younger) involved a gun belonging to a family member. The firearm suicide rate among children and teens has increased by 66 percent over the past decade.
  • 76 percent of unintentional shootings of children were committed with unsecured guns from the home, most often stored in nightstands or other sleeping areas. From 2003 to 2021, 1,262 children (0-17 years) were killed by fatal unintentional firearm injury, with approximately half caused by another person.
  • Over 1 million stolen firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) reported that from 2017 to 2021, local law enforcement reported 770,642 private theft incidents involving 1,026,538 firearms. A rising trend has been firearms stolen from unattended motor vehicles.

 
New Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Save Lives
 
Local leaders, like school officials, community and faith leaders, and law enforcement can be trusted, credible messengers when it comes to providing guidance on gun violence prevention and safe firearm storage options. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing three actions to help further promote safe storage and protect children:

  • The U.S. Department of Education will take new action on safe firearm storage by sending a letter to school principals across the country explaining the importance of safe storage and encouraging them to communicate with parents, families, caregivers, and the broader community about how safe storage can protect students in school and in their communities.
  • The U.S. Department of Education will also issue a new communication template that principals and school leaders can use to engage with parents and families about the importance of safe firearm storage, and encourage more people to take preventive action by safely storing firearms.
  • The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will release a guide to safe storage of firearms in order to provide subject matter expertise on different types of storage devices and best practices for safely storing firearms. This is the most comprehensive guide on safe storage ever released by the federal government.

To highlight these new actions, First Lady Jill Biden, White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention Director Stefanie Feldman and U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will join a town hall with school principals at the White House. The town hall will elevate the importance of safe firearms storage and emphasize the role that principals and education leaders can play in helping prevent gun violence. A livestream of the town hall is available here: School Principals Town Hall with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention & the Department of Education – YouTube
 
Building on a Record of Action to Promote Safe Storage of Firearms
 
These new actions build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to promoting safe storage of firearms, including:

  • The Administration’s launch of an unprecedented focus on lethal means safety in the White House strategy to reduce military and veteran suicide, with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also launching the first of its kind paid media campaign, KeepItSecure.net, to highlight the importance of firearm safe storage in preventing veteran suicide. The Department of Defense (DoD) also released new evidence-informed communication tools, including a public service announcement, to encourage safe storage among military service members and their families.
  • The issuing of a new ATF final rule clarifying firearms dealers’ statutory obligations to make available for purchase gun storage or safety devices compatible with the dealer’s firearm inventory.
  • The publishing by ATF of an open letter to all federal firearms licensees on their legal obligations if they choose to provide temporary storage options on their premise.
  • The DOJ announcement of new grant funds available through its STOP School Violence Program for schools to promote awareness of safe storage.  The DOJ’s Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program made grant funds available for law enforcement to acquire gun locks and storage devices that can be distributed to individuals and businesses.
  • The release of a statement by the Assistant Secretary of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration bringing attention to lethal means safety, and particularly safe storage of firearms, as a critical component of comprehensive suicide prevention efforts.
  • The publishing of a Vital Signs Report on Firearm Safety by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) highlighting the growing disparities in firearm violence, including firearm-related suicide and emphasized the importance of lethal mean safety. CDC also published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report examining unintentional injury among children and teens that emphasized the role of unsecured firearms and how safe storage can prevent harm.

The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to take action to promote safe storage and calls on Congress to assist these efforts by passing a national safe storage law to create accountability for those who leave firearms unsecured. In addition, the Administration is working with state and local leaders on safe storage efforts.
 
In December, Vice President Harris, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs convened 100 state legislators to announce the Biden-Harris Administration’s Safer States Initiative to reduce gun violence and save lives. The Administration urged states to enact and implement strong laws requiring firearms owners to safely store their firearms in their homes and vehicles. The laws should impose a clear standard to penalize those who do not safely store their weapons and whose weapons end up being used for violence.

  • States were also encouraged to invest in efforts that raise awareness of the range of safe storage options available to keep guns out of the hands of children and unauthorized individuals, and fund individuals’ access to effective storage options through tax incentives and other programs.
  • In addition, the Department of Justice published model safe storage legislation to help states craft appropriate requirements for securing firearms kept in residences and vehicles and to ensure that those firearms do not fall into the hands of children, teens, and prohibited persons.

While safe gun storage is an important factor in curtailing death and injuries among children, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and other grant programs, has also provided unprecedented funding to establish safe, healthy, and supportive learning opportunities and environments; to increase access to school-based mental health services; and to strengthen the pipeline of mental health professionals in high-need communities. These historic investments provide greater access to the services and supports that help keep students safe and healthy. These investments help advance the President’s Mental Health Strategy, which directly implements his Unity Agenda for the nation by helping to tackle the mental health crisis.

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Launches Safer States Initiative, Highlights New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence

New Yorkers march, plead for regulations to stop the scourge of gun violence. In the absence of Congressional action, the Biden-Harris administration opened a White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, launched the Safer States Initiative and introduced new executive actions to reduce gun violence © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Biden Administration, in its effort to stem the gun violence epidemic, has launched the Safer States Initiative and introduced new executive actions to reduce Gun Violence. (You can bet a Republican administration would reverse any initiatives.) This fact sheet is from the White House: – Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

In September 2023, President Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris. President Biden tasked the office with four key responsibilities, including enhancing the federal government’s partnerships with cities and states to help them advance their own efforts to reduce gun violence.
 
Vice President Harris has launched the Biden-Harris Administration’s Safer States Initiative to provide states with additional tools and the support they need to reduce gun violence and save lives. To kick off the initiative, the White House released the Biden-Harris Safer States Agenda, outlining key actions states should take, including:

  • Establishing a State Office of Gun Violence Prevention;
  • Investing in evidence-informed solutions to prevent and respond to gun violence, including community violence interventions, Crime Gun Intelligence Centers, and implementation of Extreme Risk Protection Orders;
  • Strengthening support for survivors and victims of gun violence;
  • Reinforcing responsible gun ownership, including by requiring safe storage of firearms and reporting of lost and stolen firearms;
  • Strengthening gun background checks, including by enacting universal background checks legislation and removing barriers to completing enhanced background checks; and
  • Holding the gun industry accountable, including by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and enacting firearm-specific liability laws to ensure that victims of gun violence have their day in court.

To help states advance this agenda, the Justice Department announced two new executive actions to reduce gun violence.  

  • Safe Storage Model Legislation. Safe storage saves lives. It is one tool in the toolkit to reduce school shootings, because we know that most often those students who carry out K-12 school shootings are using firearms they obtain from the home of a friend or family member. It is also a critical strategy to reduce suicide by firearms, accidental shootings, and the theft of firearms. The Department of Justice’s model legislation details how states can require the safe storage of firearms, including in vehicles, and hold individuals liable for harm caused by unsecured firearms.
     
  • Lost and Stolen Firearms Reporting Model Legislation. Reporting of lost and stolen firearms allows law enforcement to investigate and prosecute firearms trafficking. The Department of Justice’s model legislation provides states with a framework for requiring that a person promptly report the loss or theft to law enforcement.   

In the months ahead, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention will continue to proactively work with states to make sure they have additional resources and support needed to advance these agenda items.

NYS Governor Hochul Announces New Guidance for Law Enforcement When Responding to Domestic Incidents

Model Policy Outlines Trauma-Informed and Survivor-Centered Best Practices and Procedures for Police Officers and Supervisors That Promote Safety of Victims and Officers, Connect Individuals to Services and Support, and Preserve Evidence of a Crime

Governor Hochul Secures $1 Million Investment to Further Expand the Use of New York State’s Red Flag Law in Situations of Intimate Partner and Gender-Based Violence

Governor Hochul Signs Domestic Violence Prevention Legislation at Meeting with Survivors in Albany

 
From her earliest days as New York State Governor, Kathy Hochul has been working to address domestic violence and promote safety, signing gun control laws and expanding use of the state’s Red Flag Law. She announced announced new state guidance for police departments and sheriffs’ offices when responding to domestic incidents and secured $1 million to further expand the use of the Red Flag Law in situations of intimate partner and gender-based violence by providing training and technical assistance to community-based organizations so they can facilitate the filing of these potentially life-saving orders. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced new state guidance for police departments and sheriffs’ offices when responding to domestic incidents. The state’s Law Enforcement Domestic Incident Model Policy outlines trauma-informed and survivor-centered best practices and procedures for police officers and supervisors to follow, with the goal of promoting safety for victims and officers, connecting individuals to services and support, and preserve evidence of a crime, among other topics. The Governor has secured $1 million to further expand the use of the state’s Red Flag Law in situations of intimate partner and gender-based violence by providing training and technical assistance to community-based organizations so they can facilitate the filing of these potentially life-saving orders. Governor Hochul also signed S.5935/A.5040 and S.5915/A.5347, two new laws related to domestic violence prevention, during a roundtable discussion with survivors in Albany. 

“I’m committed to leading an administration that treats survivors with dignity and respect,” Governor Hochul said. “This is personal to me: my mother was a lifelong advocate for victims of domestic abuse, and our family founded a transitional home for survivors in Western New York. These actions build on my administration’s ongoing commitment to help survivors and provide them with the resources, support and information they need to recover and rebuild.” 

State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) Executive Director Kelli Owens and Safe Horizon Chief Executive Officer Liz Roberts joined Governor Hochul for the roundtable discussion, information from which will inform her administration’s future policies to address domestic and gender-based violence. The goal is to build on the Governor’s establishment of a new flexible funding stream for survivor resources in the FY24 Budget, which also included $5 million in local assistance funding for OPDV to provide direct financial assistance to victims and survivors of domestic violence. October is marked in New York State and the nation as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Governor Hochul dramatically expanded use of the state’s Red Flag Law in the aftermath of the 2022 racially motivate murders at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo. Also known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Law, the law is designed to prevent individuals who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing any kind of firearm, while providing procedural safeguards to ensure that no firearm is removed without due process.

This new, $1 million investment will fund training and technical assistance for community-based organizations so they can help potential ERPO petitioners – family members, school officials, and health and mental health care providers, among others – identify extreme risk behavior and navigate the court process to further increase the use of this critical public safety law. The state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and OPDV will work with the state’s 10 Domestic Violence Regional Councils to implement this initiative.

The new Law Enforcement Domestic Incident Model Policy addresses significant shifts in law enforcement policy and practice that have occurred since the state first issued guidance in 2010, as well as an increased understanding of the effects of trauma, the need to assess for lethality factors when responding to these incidents, and the importance of putting victims and survivors at the center of any response and holding individuals who harm accountable for their behavior. The State’s Municipal Police Training Council, to which DCJS provides staff support, adopted the policy after working with subject matter experts in policing, domestic violence prevention and response, and law enforcement training.

“Domestic incidents are among the most common and serious calls agencies receive,” New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said. “This comprehensive model policy is designed to provide responding officers with the information, tools, and resources they need to effectively handle these cases. I thank the members of the Municipal Police Training Council and my team at DCJS for their work and commitment to improving policing and how the criminal justice system responds to victims and survivors.”

New York State Office for Victim Services Director Elizabeth Cronin said,“It takes an incredible amount of courage for someone in an abusive relationship to seek help from the police. Once they take that step, even making that call can cause a dangerous situation to escalate, so it’s critically important that police officers have the best information, training, and skills when they respond. I thank Municipal Police Training Council members for their leadership and urge all police agencies take advantage of this important guidance.”

In addition to announcing the availability of this critical guidance for law enforcement and funding to expand the use of the state’s Red Flag Law, Governor Hochul signed legislation S.5935/A.5040 enacting the “Hope Card Act” that directs the state Office of Court Administration to develop a program to issue cards containing information of a final order of protection at no cost to individuals. This will empower and enable survivors to enforce their orders of protection without carrying, and risk losing, their official copies. New York is the sixth state to implement a Hope Card program. 

The Governor also signed legislation S.5915/A.5347 requiring the State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence to distribute informational materials on economic abuse. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, more than 90 percent of survivors of domestic violence have suffered economic abuse, but many people do not see themselves as being in an abusive relationship if they are not being physically harmed. Informational materials for victims and survivors of domestic- and gender-based violence will include connections to housing resources, local social service offices, and more to help individuals attain safety and stability. 

“Economic abuse – like so many forms of domestic violence – is overlooked, underreported, and sometimes difficult to recognize,” State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said. “By requiring the Office of the Prevention of Domestic Violence to distribute informational materials on a form of domestic violence that is near ubiquitous in abusive relationships, this bill will empower survivors of economic abuse to recognize economic abuse in its many forms and give them the tools they need to find help. We thank the Governor for signing this bill into law, and for promoting more trauma-informed responses to domestic violence.”

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said,”Economic abuse is an invisible form of domestic violence, making it increasingly important that we shine a light on this dangerous practice. Despite being lesser known, economic abuse is extremely common, impacting more than 90% of domestic violence survivors. When a person is trying to leave a dangerous situation, the last thing they should have to worry about is how they will afford to rebuild their life or if their credit has been destroyed by their abuser. I thank Governor Hochul for signing my legislation to make informational materials available to survivors statewide so that they can recognize economic abuse and know where to turn for help.”

The Model Policy addresses changes in law enforcement practice, updates to state law, including the Red Flag Law, and ways for the law enforcement response to be more survivor centered, including: 

  • Assessing potential lethality to a victim by asking questions about their partner’s access to guns or threats to harm themselves or others, prior incidents of strangulation, harm experienced during pregnancy, jealously and escalating violence. If an individual answers yes to these questions, the guidance provides officers with detailed information about the next steps they should take, including immediately connecting the victim with safety planning by calling a state or local domestic violence hotline or arranging for an advocate to arrive on scene; obtaining evidence from all possible sources, such as phone records, video, and license plate readers, not solely the victim; and consult with prosecutors prior to arraignment if an individual has been charged in connection with the incident.
  • Determining if it is necessary to obtain an ERPO to remove any firearms from the home if the alleged abuser poses a danger to the victim, themselves, or others. The Municipal Police Training Council also has an Extreme Risk Protective Order Model Policy and DCJS has provided training on the topic to assist law enforcement professionals with this assessment and their responsibilities under the law.
  • Using the individual’s own words when documenting the incident, rather than drawing conclusions: “I can’t sign this or he’ll kill me,” instead of characterizing the statement, such as “victim refused to cooperate.” Police officers must complete a New York State Domestic Incident Report, whether or not an offense occurred, or an arrest is made.
  • Notifying individuals about the availability critical civil legal services so they can obtain orders of protection, and assistance with custody and housing, among other legal matters resulting from their victimization.
  • Understanding how the effects of trauma and coercive control may result in victims and survivors of domestic violence being hesitant to say what happened, list events in illogical order, and fear authority figures or that police involvement may subject them to future harm.
  • Using body-worn cameras, which may affect a victim’s willingness to provide information. If a victim requests an officer stop recording, that request should be documented on camera before the recording is deactivated.

Police departments and sheriffs’ offices are not required to adopt the Law Enforcement Domestic Incident Model Policy: It is designed so each agency can develop their own policies and procedures to best serve the unique needs of their community. Development of model policies is a core function of the Municipal Police Training Council, which also establishes requirements for statutorily mandated police and peace officer basic training in New York State, and police and peace officer instructor certifications, among other responsibilities.

New York State’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline provides free, confidential support 24/7 and is available in most languages: 800-942-6906 (call), 844-997-2121 (text) or @opdv.ny.gov (chat). Individuals also can visit OVS Resource Connect to find a victim assistance program in their community. The Office of Victim Services funds and supports 239 victim assistance programs across the state that provide essential services, such as crisis counseling, support groups, case management, emergency shelter, civil legal help, and relocation assistance, among other assistance, to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes, and their families. The agency also provides a critical financial safety net for individuals who have no other resources to pay for expenses they incurred because of the crime.

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services is a multifunction criminal justice support agency with a variety of responsibilities, including law enforcement training; collection and analysis of statewide crime data; maintenance of criminal history information and fingerprint files; administrative oversight of the state’s DNA databank, in partnership with the New York State Police; funding and oversight of probation and community correction programs; administration of federal and state criminal justice funds; support of criminal justice-related agencies across the state; and administration of the State’s Sex Offender Registry. Follow the agency on FacebookInstagram and X (formerly Twitter).

The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violenceis the country’s only executive level state agency dedicated to the issue of gender-based violence. Follow the agency on FacebookInstagram and X (formerly Twitter).

Safe Horizon is the nation’s largest nonprofit victim assistance organization. Based entirely in New York City, Safe Horizon offers a client-centered, trauma-informed, anti-racist response to 250,000 New Yorkers each year who have experienced violence or abuse.

Biden-Harris Administration Provides $4.4 Billion to Support Community Safety, Prevent Gun Violence and Violent Crime

This roundup of Biden-Harris administrations actions to support community safety, prevent gun violence and other violent crime has been provided by the White House:

The Biden-Harris Administration has taken new action to support community safety, reduce violent crime, and prevent gun violence in communities across the country with the announcement of $4.4 billion of Department of Justice grants. These new grants will invest in community violence intervention and prevention efforts, improve services for victims of gun violence, and support law enforcement as they work to reduce crime – and they build on President Biden’s historic efforts to reduce gun violence in our country.
 

New York City among communities pleading for action to stop the epidemic of gun violence. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken new action to support community safety, reduce violent crime, and prevent gun violence in communities across the country with the announcement of $4.4 billion of Department of Justice grants. These new grants will invest in community violence intervention and prevention efforts, improve services for victims of gun violence, and support law enforcement as they work to reduce crime – and they build on President Biden’s historic efforts to reduce gun violence in our country. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre“Over the past few days we have seen the traumatizing impact of the gun violence epidemic in our country. At Morgan State University in Baltimore, where a joyful Homecoming week was interrupted by violence. In Holyoke, where several people were shot at including a pregnant woman who tragically lost the child she was carrying hours later in the hospital. And in Philadelphia, where three police officers were shot while doing their jobs last night.
 
Americans should be able to go to their schools, places of worship, jobs, and out in their community without the fear of gun violence.
 
Last week, the Department of Justice announced that they are awarding more than $4.4 billion in grants to support state, local, and Tribal community safety efforts that reach every corner of the country. This historic investment in community safety is a major stride toward preventing violence in our communities.
 
Among some examples of where this critical funding will be going toward are: number one, first, community violence prevention efforts, including in new investments in states including North Carolina, Colorado, and Ohio; efforts to support victims of gun violence in all fifty states; investments in crime reduction strategies and support for law enforcement; crucial resources to keep our kids safe in and out of school; and much more.
 
This is just the latest action from the Biden-Harris Administration to keep communities safe.
 
And it builds on the historic action President Biden has taken to reduce gun violence and gun crime: including signing into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, announcing dozens of executive actions, and last month, launching the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.”
 
Department of Justice: Justice Department Awards Over $4.4 Billion to Support Community Safety
 
The Justice Department announced today that it is awarding more than $4.4 billion to support state, local, and Tribal public safety and community justice activities. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will help build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, and achieve fair outcomes through evidence-based criminal and juvenile justice strategies.
 
“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.”
 
The more than 3,700 OJP grants being awarded this fiscal year will support state, local, and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime, and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at-risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders, and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges.
 
“Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse, and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.”
 
“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs, and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal, and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy, and just communities for all.”
 
“Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”
 
Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:

  • Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust, helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success, and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
     
  • More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion, and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders. 
     
  • Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime, and are protected from violence and abuse.
     
  • More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.
     
  •  Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent, and deliver justice to victims.   

In addition, OJP will award more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending. More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards

Biden Establishes First-Ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention

President Biden announces the formation of the first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention, to be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris. Congressman Maxwell Frost (D-FL), a gun violence survivor and gun violence prevention activist was on hand for the announcement at the White House © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com via MSNBC.

By Karen Rubin, news-photos-features.com

For those who insist the 2nd Amendment is absolute and government has no authority to regulate guns, look to the preamble of the Constitution, the authority is written there: “to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”

It’s a shonda that in face of 31,394 gun deaths and 506 mass shootings so far this year- that President Biden has felt the need to establish the first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Headed by Vice President Kamala Harris, it is aimed at providing aid and comfort to communities after yet another incident of gun violence, in the same way FEMA does after a disaster, recognizing the trauma and dislocation of communities after such events. The office will also see to fully implement the provisions of the Safer Communities Act – the first serious gun control legislation in nearly 30 years – enact the many gun-safety Executive Orders, and see where new measures need to be taken.

President Biden also vowed to see renewed legislation banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and gave a long list of actions that Congress must take to end the scourge, the epidemic of gun violence that is uniquely “American.”

The new Office of Gun Violence Prevention will be overseen by Vice President Harris, who has been a been a key leader in the Biden-Harris Administration’s effort to end our nation’s gun violence epidemic. Stefanie Feldman, a longtime policy advisor to President Biden on gun violence prevention, will serve as Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, alongside leading gun violence prevention advocates Greg Jackson and Rob Wilcox, who will join the Administration as Deputy Directors of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
 
“Every time I’ve met with families impacted by gun violence as they mourn their loved ones, and I’ve met with so many throughout the country, they all have the same message for their elected officials: ‘do something.’ It’s why, last year, I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to keep guns out of dangerous hands, and have taken more executive action than any President in history to keep communities safe. But as I’ve said before – while these are important steps, they are just the first steps toward what is needed,” President Biden said at a ceremony announcing the office.
 
“That’s why I’m announcing additional steps forward, with the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris, to build upon these measures and keep Americans safe. The Office will include Stefanie Feldman, who has capably led my Administration’s gun violence prevention efforts and been a trusted aide for more than a decade, alongside leading experts Greg Jackson and Rob Wilcox whose own lives and families have been touched by the tragedy of gun violence. They have turned their pain into purpose and dedicated their careers to being advocates for change – that important work will continue as they join my team in these new roles.
 
“I’ll continue to urge Congress to take commonsense actions that the majority of Americans support like enacting universal background checks and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But in the absence of that sorely-needed action, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along with the rest of my Administration will continue to do everything it can to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our families, our communities, and our country apart,” Biden said.
  
The Office of Gun Violence Prevention builds on historic actions taken by President Biden to end gun violence in our country: including signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant legislative action in nearly 30 years aimed at doing so, and taking more meaningful executive action than any other president to make our schools, churches, grocery stores, and communities safer.
 
The Biden-Harris Administration has worked to implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun violence prevention legislation in nearly 30 years. This legislation is already saving lives by keeping guns out of the hands of individuals under 21 who are prohibited from purchasing firearms, empowering the Justice Department with new authorities to prosecute firearms traffickers, improving access to mental health services in our schools to help young people deal with the trauma and grief resulting from gun violence, and investing in community violence interventions.
 
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced dozens of executive actions to: keep especially dangerous weapons and repeat shooters off our streets; hold rogue gun dealers and gun traffickers accountable; provide law enforcement with the tools and resources they need to reduce gun violence; and address the root causes of gun violence.  Most recently, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – a critical leader in work to reduce gun violence – proposed a rule to reduce the number of guns sold without background checks and keep guns out of the hands of criminals.
 
President Biden continues to call on Congress to take additional action, including by:

  • Banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines;
  • Requiring safe storage of firearms;
  • Requiring background checks for all gun sales;
  • Eliminating gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability; and

Enacting his Safer America Plan, which would put more police officers on our streets for accountable, community policing and invest in gun violence prevention and intervention.

 “Every person and every child deserves the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and live up to their God-given potential. Every family, in every community, should have the freedom to live and to thrive,” Vice President Kamala Harris stated. “We know true freedom is not possible if people are not safe. This epidemic of gun violence requires urgent leadership to end the fear and trauma that Americans experience every day. The new Office of Gun Violence Prevention will play a critical role in implementing President Biden’s and my efforts to reduce violence to the fullest extent under the law, while also engaging and encouraging Congressional leaders, state and local leaders, and advocates to come together to build upon the meaningful progress that we have made to save lives. Our promise to the American people is this: we will not stop working to end the epidemic of gun violence in every community, because we do not have a moment, nor a life to spare.”

See also:

To Stop Scourge of Gun Violence, End Easy Access, Hold Manufacturers, Retailers, Owners Accountable

The 2nd Amendment Myth that ‘Gun Rights’ Cannot be ‘Infringed’

FACT SHEET: BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION TAKES ANOTHER LIFE-SAVING STEP TO KEEP GUNS OUT OF DANGEROUS HANDS

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© 2023 News & Photo Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. For editorial feature and photo information, go to www.news-photos-features.com, email [email protected]. Blogging at www.dailykos.com/blogs/NewsPhotosFeatures. ‘Like’ us on facebook.com/KarenBRubin, Tweet @KarenBRubin

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Takes Another Life-Saving Step to Keep Guns Out of Dangerous Hands

March for Our Lives, Washington DC, 2018. Amid yet another senseless shooting on college campus and racist-motivated murders at a Jacksonville, Florida grocery store, concern as students start another school year, and as the number of mass shootings continue to hit records, with 120 people dying each day from gun violence, President Biden is taking life-saving action to reduce the number of guns sold without background checks and keep guns out of the hands of criminals. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Amid yet another senseless shooting on college campus and racist-motivated murders at a Jacksonville, Florida grocery store, concern as students start another school year, and as the number of mass shootings continue to hit new records, with 120 people dying each day from gun violence, President Biden is taking life-saving action to reduce the number of guns sold without background checks and keep guns out of the hands of criminals. – Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

In March, President Biden signed an Executive Order directing the Attorney General to move as close to universal background checks as possible within existing law. Today, as a result of the Executive Order and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the Department of Justice is taking life-saving action to reduce the number of guns sold without background checks and keep guns out of the hands of criminals.
 
Why the Biden-Harris Administration is Taking Action
 
Since 1994, federal law has required federally licensed firearms dealers to run background checks prior to selling or transferring a weapon. These background checks have helped keep guns out of the hands of more than three million felons, convicted domestic abusers, and other dangerous individuals. However, despite the law, individuals who should be licensed dealers have refused to obtain a license, skirting the background check requirement.
 
Last year, Congress passed and President Biden signed into law bipartisan legislation to help address this dangerous problem by modifying the definition of who has to become a federally licensed firearms dealer. Members of Congress—both Democrats and Republicans—made clear that they intended for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to better protect the American people from gun violence by clarifying when someone is supposed to become a licensed firearms dealer.
 
New Action to Keep Guns Out of Dangerous Hands
 
Today, the Justice Department has announced a proposed rule to specify what exactly the new definition in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act means on the ground. If finalized, this proposed rule would mean the following for people who are not selling guns in order to make money: If you have a gun you no longer need, and you want to sell it to your family member, you do not need a license to sell it. If you buy and sell curios or relics or “collectible” personal firearms as a hobby, again, you do not need a license. But, if you are offering a firearm for sale to make money, and telling a customer that you can purchase and sell him additional firearms, you would presumptively need a license—and need to run background checks. The same is true if you repetitively offer for resale firearms within 30 days of when you purchased them. The proposed rule includes a number of other situations where, in civil and administrative proceedings and absent reliable evidence to the contrary, it will be presumed that you need a license.
 
Specifically, the proposed rule, if finalized, would clarify that an individual would be presumed to be “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms—and therefore be required to become a licensed firearms dealer and run background checks—if they meet certain conditions. For example, under the proposed rule, a person would be presumed to be required to become a licensed dealer and run background checks if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Offer for sale any number of firearms and also represents to potential buyers that they are willing and able to purchase and sell them additional firearms;
    • Repetitively offer for sale firearms within 30 days after they were purchased;
       
    • Repetitively offer for sale firearms that are like new in their original packaging;
       
    • Repetitively offer for sale multiple firearms of the same make and model; or
       
    • As a formerly federally-licensed firearms dealer, sell firearms that were in the business inventory and not transferred to a personal collection at least a year before the sale, addressing the so-called “fire sale loophole.”

 The proposed rule would also clarify that, for civil or administrative actions, an individual would be presumed to have the intent to “predominantly earn a profit”—one of the elements of engaging in the business of dealing firearms—if the person engages in activities such as:

  • Creating a website or making business cards to advertise or market a firearms business;
    • Maintaining records to document and track profits and losses from firearms purchases or sales; or 
  • Purchasing business insurance or renting space at a gun show.

The proposed rule would make clear that there is no “gun show loophole” or “internet loophole” in federal law. Dealers who engage in the business of selling guns are required to obtain a license and run background checks no matter where they engage in the business of buying and selling firearms. That include at gun shows and over the Internet.

The proposed rule is now open for public comment.  The Department of Justice will consider the comments it receives in deciding on a final rule.

Continuing to Call on Congress to Act
 
This rule is a significant step toward reducing the percentage of firearms sold for profit without background checks. It builds on previous Biden-Harris Administration actions to save lives and combat the epidemic of gun violence.
 
However, to fully address this problem, Congress must act. The President continues to call on Congress to enact universal background checks legislation, as well as other commonsense legislation to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of guns, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers. These are life-saving measures that the vast majority of Americans and gun owners support to protect our Country from the threat of gun violence.

“It is a false choice to suggest that we have to choose between either supporting the Second Amendment or passing reasonable gun safety laws – we can do both. All people in every community across our Nation have a right to be safe. This proposed regulation will help realize that goal and save lives,” Vice President Kamala Harris stated.
 
“But there is more to do. Congress must pass legislation to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require safe gun storage, end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers, and require background checks on all gun sales—even those by gun dealers who are not registered. The President and I will not stop fighting to end this Nation’s epidemic of gun violence.”


Biden Announces 13 New Actions to Reduce Gun Violence by Maximizing the Benefits of Safer Communities Act

“Stop mass shootings,” March for Our Lives, New York City 2022. President Biden won the first gun control legislation in 30 years, the Safer Communities Act, and is now announcing 13 actions under the law to reduce gun violence and save lives. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Taking stock of the horror of gun violence that has taken too many mothers, too many children, and broken too many families, President Biden on Mothers Day (and the one-year anniversary of the Buffalo massacre at Topps Grocery and the Uvalde school massacre two weeks later) announced 13 actions the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act  (the first gun control law to pass in 30 years) and maximize the benefits of the law, reducing gun violence and saving lives by keeping guns out of dangerous hands. – Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

President Joe Biden announced 13 actions he is implementing under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to reduce gun violence and save lives by keeping guns out of dangerous hands. These include:

Keeping guns out of dangerous hands

The White House, in partnership with DOJ, will convene state and local law enforcement leaders to solicit their collaboration on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) implementation priorities, such as: 1) increasing state and local law enforcement agencies’ response rates to enhanced background check inquiries when someone under age 21 tries to purchase a gun; and 2) ensuring that arrest and adjudication records include additional documentation of dating relationships to keep more guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.

The White House, in partnership with DOJ, will convene state legislators and governors’ offices, urging them to enact laws allowing the federal background check system to access all records that could prohibit someone under age 21 from purchasing a firearm.

DOJ is working with state and territory governments and local law enforcement agencies to increase their response rates to the federal background check system inquiries when someone under age 21 tries to purchase a gun. DOJ has held 18 webinars to date, attended by more than 500 law enforcement agencies, and has nine more planned.

DOJ is training federal law enforcement and educating state and local law enforcement and prosecutors on the need for additional documentation of dating relationships in domestic abuse cases in order to implement BSCA’s provision that narrowed the “boyfriend loophole,” helping to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.

Ensuring BSCA’s mental health funding helps those dealing with the grief and trauma resulting from gun violence

The Secretaries of HHS and ED will urge governors to use BSCA and Medicaid’s funding to help schools address the trauma and mental health challenges resulting from gun violence.

HHS will educate health and social service providers, community leaders, and other individuals on the effects that gun violence trauma can have on communities.

HHS will clarify how early childhood providers can use BSCA funding to address mental health and gun violence trauma.

HHS will highlight stories of how communities are effectively using BSCA’s mental health funding to help those impacted by gun violence, in order to encourage other communities to adopt those strategies and effectively use BSCA’s resources.

HHS will meet with trauma program grantees and select community members and providers to gather community-level data pertaining to the link between exposure to gun violence and trauma. Lessons learned will inform HHS’ future program development, and a report HHS will make available to other communities.

As part of the school-based services Technical Assistance Center established under BSCA, HHS and ED will jointly develop resources for states and schools regarding how schools can use Medicaid to fund school-based health services to help students dealing with the physical and emotional impacts of gun violence.

Making schools safer

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will launch a dedicated public campaign to bring greater awareness to SchoolSafety.gov and its available resources and evidence-based practices. The campaign will be geared towards K-12 leaders, school administrators, teachers, school personnel, and parents and legal guardians.

ED has taken several steps to help states and school districts make effective use of BSCA’s $1 billion Stronger Connections Grant Program to improve school safety. For example, ED hosted a four-part webinar series that highlighted evidence-based practices for supporting student safety and well-being and published extensive Frequently Asked Questions to help states and school districts understand how they can effectively use this funding to ensure all schools are safe and welcoming to all students.

Expanding community violence interventions

To help communities maximize the benefits of BSCA’s community violence intervention funding, DOJ hosted a five-part webinar series to help local leaders use evidence-informed strategies to reduce violence.

Highlights of Progress Made to Implement BSCA

Keeping guns out of dangerous hands

DOJ has invested resources to investigate and prosecute violations of BSCA’s new provisions related to firearms trafficking and straw purchasing (purchasing a firearm for another person who is prohibited from buying the gun). DOJ is coordinating with non-DOJ federal law enforcement agencies to identify criminal investigations eligible for application of these criminal authorities. As a result, DOJ has already charged more than 60 defendants for violating these provisions and seized hundreds of firearms in connection with those cases. For example:

Multiple Men Indicted in Utah for Firearm Offenses, Including Allegedly Attempting to Smuggle 34 Guns into Mexico

Mexican Resident Sent to Prison for Trafficking Firearms Under New Law

Four Gun Traffickers Charged with Selling Over 50 Firearms in Brooklyn

Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Join Forces to Disrupt Violent Crime, Firearms, and Drug Trafficking in Multiple Jurisdictions Across the Country

Nine Men Charged with Roles in Gang-Led Drug and Gun Trafficking Network

Federal Firearms Licensee and Boston Man Indicted for Firearm Trafficking and Straw Purchasing Conspiracy

Two charged in scheme to illegally purchase firearms and transfer them to others

Federal Prosecutors Aggressively Pursuing Those Who Lie in Connection With Firearm Transactions

In part due to BSCA’s revised definition of who is “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms, DOJ’s prosecutions for unlicensed dealing increased 52% from FY 2021 to FY 2022. DOJ is on track to maintain this elevated level in FY 2023.

DOJ has implemented BSCA’s enhanced firearms background checks for individuals under the age of 21 in all 43 jurisdictions where the federal government processes background checks. Since November 2022, DOJ has conducted more than 89,000 of these checks and denied more than 160 firearms transactions solely because of BSCA. Out of the 13 states that process their own background checks, 10 states have fully implemented the enhanced background checks. DOJ is providing technical assistance in the remaining three states.

DOJ awarded over $230 million for state crisis intervention programs, including extreme risk protection orders (also known as red flag laws), to temporarily keep guns out of the hands of those who are a danger to themselves or others. This funding is supporting communities in 49 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.

The federal gun background check system (the National Instant Criminal Background Check System) implemented BSCA’s updated definition of misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, which now includes qualifying dating relationships to keep more guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.

DOJ has provided multiple trainings for federal prosecutors and federal law-enforcement agents on a number of BSCA’s provisions, including the updated definition of “engaged in the business,” the new straw purchasing and firearms trafficking provisions, and the expanded definition of misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to include abusive dating partners.

Improving school safety

DOJ awarded almost $60 million in BSCA grants to support school safety. This funding will help institute safety measures in and around schools, support school violence prevention efforts, provide training to school personnel and students, implement evidence-based threat assessments, and fund research and evaluation on the causes and consequences of school violence.

ED awarded states nearly $1 billion from BSCA’s Stronger Connections grant program to support schools in providing students with safer and healthier learning environments and support students’ social, emotional, physical, and mental well-being. Per BSCA, states are tasked with developing competitions for high-need school districts to apply for funding, which they may use for purposes such as expanding school-based mental health services, addressing the physical security of schools, providing safety and violence prevention programs, and creating and implementing emergency operating plans. States are in the process of awarding these grants now.

ED awarded BSCA’s $50 million in funding for out-of-school time programs to use to increase attendance and engagement of students in the middle and high school grades.

Improving access to mental health care

HHS has already awarded nearly $400 million in BSCA funding to increase mental health services in the community, expand school-based mental health services, expand and strengthen the mental health workforce, and improve mental health crisis services. For example:

HHS awarded $60 million to help better equip primary care residents to provide behavioral health care. This funding is anticipated to support approximately 3,500 residents over five years.

HHS awarded $18 million to 49 states, jurisdictions, and Tribes to provide technical assistance and enhance the pediatric mental health care workforce’s capacity to make early identification, diagnosis, treatment and referral of behavioral conditions a routine part of children’s health care services; particularly in pediatric, emergency services and schools.

HHS awarded $59.4 million in supplemental Community Mental Health Block Grant funding to states, helping to expand access to prevention, treatment, and crisis services.

HHS awarded $57.7 million in Mental Health Awareness Training grants to prepare and train school personnel, emergency first responders, law enforcement, and others to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and enable early intervention.

HHS awarded $19.5 million to National Child Traumatic Stress Network to improve treatment and services for children, adolescents, and families who have experienced traumatic events.

HHS awarded $73.6 million for Project Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education (Project AWARE) to help develop and support school-based mental health programs and services. This program will promote the healthy social and emotional development of school-aged youth and prevent youth violence in school settings.

HHS awarded $20 million in Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma grants to promote resilience and equity and prevent violence in communities that have recently faced civil unrest, community violence, and/or collective trauma.

With the help of BSCA, ED has awarded more than $280 million in funding to bolster the pipeline of mental health professionals serving in schools and expand school-based mental health services and supports in schools. Grantees project that these funds will put more than 14,000 new mental health professionals in U.S. schools – including school psychologists, counselors, and social workers.

Expanding community violence interventions

DOJ awarded $50 million in BSCA funding – combined with $50 million in bipartisan omnibus appropriations – through the federal government’s first-ever standalone community violence intervention grant program. Combined, this $100 million is helping 47 sites across 24 states and territories.

FACT SHEET: Biden Announces New Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer

President Biden’s executive order to reduce gun violence directs the Attorney General to move the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation by clarifying, as appropriate, the statutory definition of who is “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms, as updated by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This move would mean fewer guns will be sold without background checks, and therefore fewer guns will end up in the hands of felons and domestic abusers. The President is also directing the Attorney General to develop and implement a plan to prevent former federally licensed firearms dealers, whose licenses have been revoked or surrendered, from continuing to engage in the business of dealing in firearms. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Today, in Monterey Park, California, President Biden announced an Executive Order with the goal of increasing the number of background checks conducted before firearm sales, moving the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation. The Executive Order will also keep more guns out of dangerous hands by increasing the effective use of “red flag” laws, strengthen efforts to hold the gun industry accountable, and accelerate law enforcement efforts to identify and apprehend the shooters menacing our communities. President Biden is also encouraging the Federal Trade Commission to issue a public report analyzing how gun manufacturers market firearms to minors.
 
President Biden traveled to Monterey Park to grieve with the families and community impacted by the mass shooting that claimed 11 lives and injured nine others in January. Monterey Park is part of a growing list of communities all across the country that are forever changed due to gun violence—not only mass shootings, but also daily acts of gun violence that may not make national headlines.
 
Last year, President Biden signed into the law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun violence reduction legislation enacted in nearly 30 years. When celebrating the Act’s passage, he called on Congress to seize the bipartisan momentum and advance additional commonsense steps to reduce gun violence. Again and again, he has called for Congress to act, including by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, requiring background checks for all gun sales, requiring safe storage of firearms, closing the dating violence restraining order loophole, and repealing gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability.
 
As he continues to call on Congress to act, President Biden will do everything he can to reduce gun violence and save lives. That is why, over the past two years, President Biden has taken more executive action to reduce gun violence than any other president at this point in their presidency.
 
The President’s new Executive Order to reduce gun violence includes the following additional actions, all of which fall within existing executive authority and outside of the right protected by the Second Amendment:
 
Keeping guns out of dangerous hands
 
The Executive Order directs the President’s Cabinet to:

  • Increase the number of background checks by ensuring that all background checks required by law are conducted before firearm purchases, moving the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation. A large majority of Americans support background checks and agree it’s common sense to check whether someone is a felon or domestic abuser before allowing them to buy a gun. The President will continue to call on Congress to pass universal background check legislation. In the meantime, he is directing the Attorney General to do everything he can to ensure that firearms sellers who do not realize they are required to run background checks under existing law, or who are willfully violating existing law, become compliant with background check requirements. Specifically, the President is directing the Attorney General to move the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation by clarifying, as appropriate, the statutory definition of who is “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms, as updated by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This move would mean fewer guns will be sold without background checks, and therefore fewer guns will end up in the hands of felons and domestic abusers. The President is also directing the Attorney General to develop and implement a plan to prevent former federally licensed firearms dealers, whose licenses have been revoked or surrendered, from continuing to engage in the business of dealing in firearms.
     
  • Improve public awareness and increase appropriate use of extreme risk protection (“red flag”) orders and safe storage of firearms. 19 states and the District of Columbia have enacted red flag laws, allowing trusted community members to petition a court to determine whether an individual is dangerous, and then to temporarily remove an individual’s access to firearms. However, these laws are only effective if the public knows when and how to use red flag orders. President Biden is directing members of his Cabinet to encourage effective use of extreme risk protection orders, including by partnering with law enforcement, health care providers, educators, and other community leaders. In addition, President Biden is directing members of his Cabinet to expand existing federal campaigns and other efforts to promote safe storage of firearms.
     
  • Address the loss or theft of firearms during shipping. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) data indicates an over 250% increase in the number of firearms reported as lost or stolen during shipment between federally licensed firearms dealers, from roughly 1,700 in 2018 to more than 6,100 in 2022. President Biden is directing the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Department of Justice, to work to reduce the loss or theft of firearms during shipment and to improve reporting of such losses or thefts, including by engaging with carriers and shippers.

 
Holding the gun industry accountable
 
The Executive Order directs the President’s Cabinet to:

  • Provide the public and policymakers with more information regarding federally licensed firearms dealers who are violating the law. Gun dealers violating federal law put us all at risk by increasing the likelihood that firearms will fall into dangerous hands. The President is directing the Attorney General to publicly release, to the fullest extent permissible by law, ATF records from the inspection of firearms dealers cited for violation of federal firearm laws. This information will empower the public and policymakers to better understand the problem, and then improve our laws to hold rogue gun dealers accountable.
     
  • Use the Department of Defense’s acquisition of firearms to further firearm and public safety practices. The Department of Defense buys a large number of firearms and other weapons to protect and serve our country. The President is directing the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement principles to further firearm and public safety practices through Department of Defense acquisition of firearms, consistent with applicable law.

 
President Biden is also encouraging the independent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue a public report analyzing how gun manufacturers market firearms to minors and how such manufacturers market firearms to all civilians, including through the use of military imagery.
 
Additional steps to make our communities safer and support communities impacted by gun violence
 
The Executive Order will direct the President’s Cabinet to:

  • Help catch shooters by accelerating federal law enforcement’s reporting of ballistics data. The National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) allows federal, state, and local law enforcement to match fired cartridge casings to the guns from which they were fired, making it easier for law enforcement to connect multiple crime scenes and catch shooters. In order to maximize NIBIN’s effectiveness, federal, state, and local law enforcement all have an important role to play in ensuring timely submission of ballistics data to NIBIN. Today, the President is directing all federal law enforcement agencies to issue rigorous requirements regarding NIBIN data submission and use of this tool.
     
  • Accelerate and intensify implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). BSCA is the most significant gun safety legislative accomplishment in nearly 30 years, and the Biden-Harris Administration is treating it as such by making the most of every opportunity it provides to reduce gun violence. President Biden is directing each agency responsible for the law’s implementation to send a report to him, within 60 days, on progress toward full implementation of BSCA and additional steps they will take to maximize the benefits of the law, including by increasing public awareness and use of the resources made available by BSCA.
     
  • Improve federal support for gun violence survivors, victims and survivors’ families, first responders to gun violence, and communities affected by gun violence. When a hurricane overwhelms a community, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinates federal, state, local, and non-profit organizations in order to assess and meet community needs. However, when a mass shooting overwhelms a community, no coordinated U.S. government mechanism exists to meet short- and long-term needs, such as mental health care for grief and trauma, financial assistance (for example, when a family loses the sole breadwinner or when a small business is shut down due to a lengthy shooting investigation), and food (for example, when the Buffalo shooting closed down the only grocery store in the neighborhood). The President is directing members of his Cabinet to develop a proposal for how the federal government can better support communities after a mass shooting, and identify what additional resources or authorities the executive branch would need from Congress to implement this proposal.
     
  • Advance congressional efforts to prevent the proliferation of firearms undetectable by metal detectors. In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of technology that allows guns to be made with polymers and other materials that are increasingly capable of avoiding detection by metal detectors. President Biden is directing the Attorney General to help Congress modernize and make permanent the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988, which is currently set to expire in December 2023.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, who had to rejigger 100-year old gun regulation law after the radical rightwing majority on the Supreme Court overturned the law, commented, “Too many families in this country have experienced loss due to gun violence. Too many communities, including my hometown of Buffalo, have been devastated by weapons of war. We have a moral obligation to act — and that’s why New York strengthened our nation-leading gun safety laws, expanding the use of red flag laws to prevent domestic abusers and other dangerous individuals from causing harm to themselves or others.

“President Biden’s new Executive Order brings New York’s approach to a national scale. The Executive Order strengthens rules around individuals with a “red flag” by requiring federally licensed gun dealers to check if an individual is a domestic abuser or convicted felon. It increases federal resources for proven crime-fighting tools, like the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network we are utilizing in Crime Analysis Centers across New York. This EO builds on the major success last year, when President Biden worked closely with Leader Schumer and bipartisan members of Congress to pass the first new gun safety legislation in a generation. This Executive Order is the significant next step our country needed.”

FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Safer America Plan

New York City honors its police force in the Heroes Parade. While Republicans like to paint themselves as the “law and order” party – an image contradicted by January 6th and the aftermath, Democrats support law enforcement, community policing as well as criminal justice, gun safety. During the Summer, President Biden unveiled his Safer America Plan © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

With Republicans running campaigns based on increased crime rates and falsely charging “socialist liberal communist Democrats” with trying to “defund police” and supporting criminal justice, police reform and cashless bail, it bears noting that crime rates are rising in places ruled by Republicans as well as Democrats. (Nassau County, Long Island was America’s safest county of its size under Democrat County Executive Laura Curran; crime rates have risen 34 percent so far in 2022 under Republican Bruce Blakeman.)

Moreover, increase in crime rates reflects record levels of gun violence (a record 45,000 gun deaths in 2021, a rate that has hit records every year since Trump took over; per capita murder rates are 40% higher in states won by Trump than in those won by Joe Biden) as well as hate crimes and political violence that have accelerated with the rise of Trump and Trumpism bringing White Christo Fascism out of the shadows and into the mainstream. Trump basically gave permission for hate and political violence.

So, in addition to making it easier to buy assault weapons and refusing to raise the minimum age to 21, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s response to the Uvalde school massacre was to send DNA kits to schools that parents can use to identify their children’s bodies AFTER they’ve been murdered rather than pass gun safety laws to proactively protect their lives. And while the Gun Lobby loves to dismiss the easy access to guns including weapons of war as a factor in America’s gun violence epidemic, and instead blame mental illness, Republicans at the federal and at state level (Texas) have voted against funding mental health services in schools and communities.

The reality is that whereas Democrats have supported law enforcement, Republicans have been the ones to cut funding: Trump wanted to rescind aid to police in sanctuary cities and the Republican Sedition Caucus in Congress is calling for ending funding to the FBI. While Republicans make a pretense of being the party of “law and order, – and work to overrule , overturn police reform and cashless bail , and repeal gun safety legislation – two words make clear the hypocrisy: January Sixth. In point of fact, President Biden released his Safer America Plan this summer. The White House provided this fact sheet – Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

President Biden knows what works to make our communities safer: investing in community policing and crime prevention. We need to fund police who walk the beat, know the neighborhood, are accountable to those they are sworn to serve, and build community trust and safety. We need to invest in mental health and substance use treatment services, crisis responders, and social workers to reduce the burden on police officers, connect people with community resources, and prevent violent crime. We need to expand community violence interventions – led by trusted messengers breaking the cycle of violence and trauma. We need to enforce our commonsense gun laws, require background checks for all gun sales in order to keep firearms out of the hands of felons and domestic abusers, and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines – weapons of war that have no place in our communities.
 
President Biden has taken action to make our communities safer during his first 18 months in office. He has funded the police and issued an Executive Order to improve police accountability. President Biden has taken more executive action to tackle gun violence than any other president at this point in their Administration, including by reining in the proliferation of ghost guns and cracking down on gun traffickers and rogue gun dealers. President Biden is the first president in nearly 30 years to bring together Members of Congress from both parties to take action on gun violence, signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The President also secured Senate confirmation of career prosecutor Steve Dettelbach to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), empowering this law enforcement agency with its first confirmed leader since 2015. And, the President has made unprecedented investments in community-led crime prevention and intervention.
 
The President believes we can and must do more to reduce crime and save lives. On July 21, President Biden announced his Safer America Plan to build on the progress he has made to reduce gun violence.
 
Today, the President is providing greater details regarding the Safer America Plan. President Biden’s fiscal year 2023 budget requests a fully paid-for new investment of approximately $35 billion to support law enforcement and crime prevention – in addition to the President’s $2 billion discretionary request for these same programs. The Safer America Plan details how this $37 billion will be used to save lives and make communities safer.
 
Specifically, the Plan:

  1. Funds the police and promotes effective prosecution of crimes affecting families today, including by funding 100,000 additional police officers who will be recruited, trained, hired, and supervised consistent with the standards in the President’s Executive Order to advance effective, accountable community policing in order to enhance trust and public safety;
     
  2. Invests in crime prevention and a fairer criminal justice system, including by investing $20 billion in services that address the causes of crime and reduce the burdens on police so they can focus on violent crime, and by incentivizing the reform of laws that increase incarceration without redressing public safety;
     
  3. Takes additional commonsense steps on guns to keep dangerous firearms out of dangerous hands, including by calling on Congress to require background checks for all gun sales and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

 

1. Fund the Police and Promote Effective Prosecution of Crimes Affecting Families Today 

Fund the Police with the Resources They Need For Effective, Accountable Community Policing
 
As President Biden said during his State of the Union Address, “We should all agree the answer is not to defund the police. It’s to fund the police. Fund them with the resources and training they need to protect our communities.” We cannot abandon our streets, and we should not have to choose between safety, public trust, and equal justice. Instead, we can protect our communities and restore trust by investing in accountable, equitable, evidence-based, constitutional policing and other law enforcement practices. In May 2022 President Biden signed an Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety (Executive Order 14074), which advances effective, accountable community policing in order to enhance trust and public safety. Through the Executive Order, the President mandated policing reforms and best practices for federal law enforcement officials. President Biden’s Safer America Plan would not only increase funding for police across the country—it would also extend the Executive Order’s reforms and best practices to state and local law enforcement. The Plan will:
 
Put 100,000 additional officers for effective accountable, community policing on our streets.  The Safer America Plan will provide the investment necessary to recruit, train, support, and manage 100,000 additional police officers for effective, accountable community policing over the next five years. Specifically, the Plan calls on Congress to appropriate $10.877 billion in mandatory funding over five years for the COPS Hiring Program, which, combined with the President’s discretionary funding proposal for this program, will fully fund this goal with $12.817 billion in total. These funds will be used to get officers out of their stations and squad cars and into the community, walking the beat on foot patrols that have been shown to enhance officer morale, improve community relations, and have a deterrent effect on crime.
 
These new funds will incentivize state and local police departments to undertake commonsense reforms the President required of federal law enforcement agencies in May in Executive Order 14074. These reforms include banning chokeholds and carotid holds except where deadly force is authorized; training officers in de-escalation tactics to prevent the unnecessary use of force; restricting the use of no-knock warrants; requiring that body cameras be activated when conducting arrests and searches and when on patrol; submitting data to the new National Law Enforcement Accountability Database that the Justice Department will create; and undertaking other consensus reforms. We will also prioritize funding for officers that are representative of the communities they are sworn to serve (including recruits who live in or are from the community), and we will require that officers hired with federal funds be properly screened, including to ensure that they do not have a history of termination or resignation under investigation for serious misconduct from another police department.
 
Support state, local, Tribal, and territorial officers with the high-quality training the President has already mandated at the federal level by the Executive Order. Training varies widely across states and across law enforcement agencies. The Plan will fund training that enhances accountability, transparency, and the well-being of state and local officers and the communities they are sworn to serve. That includes an infusion of resources to enhance evidence-based training of law enforcement on topics including crime control and deterrence tactics, community engagement, use of force, interacting with people with disabilities, responding to persons in mental health crisis and to domestic violence calls, responding to First Amendment protected public protest activity, and more. The Plan will also fund the purchase and operation of body-worn cameras. The Plan calls on Congress to appropriate $1 billion over five years for these purposes. These funds will also be used to incentivize state and local law enforcement agencies to implement reforms such as those discussed above that the President required of federal law enforcement agencies in Executive Order 14074.
 
Recruit and retain police officers who demonstrate a commitment to honorably serving and protecting. We ask police to put their lives on the line to keep us and our loved ones safe. Front-line officers and chiefs around the country have made clear that we need to do more to recruit and retain officers who honorably serve as guardians of their communities. We also need to support agencies in developing flexible employment opportunities so that the profession meets the needs of a 21st century workforce and can continue to attract the best candidates at the state and local level who will meet and exceed the effective, accountable community policing standards mandated for federal law enforcement in the Executive Order. To attract and retain this high-quality workforce, President Biden’s Safer America Plan will fund bonuses for retention; provide student loan repayment, tuition reimbursement, and higher education grant programs to incentivize service-minded candidates, including women and individuals from underrepresented communities, to become officers; support pilot programs to explore more flexibility in scheduling and work arrangements; and expand mental health and wellness care for our police officers. The Plan calls on Congress to appropriate $750 million over five years for these purposes, and require that grant recipients report to the Attorney General and make public any use of funds to pay bonuses.
 
Ensure that new resources for law enforcement reach not only our biggest cities but also our small cities and towns. Smaller agencies often lack the personnel and resources to stay abreast of the latest evidence-based practices in policing, and lack internal capacity to identify and access grant and high-quality training opportunities. The Safer America Plan will set aside a minimum of $300 million per year of the funding described above to exclusively support small law enforcement agencies.
 
Clear Court Backlogs and Solve Murders So We Can Take Shooters and Other Violent Criminals Off the Streets
 
A small number of individuals are responsible for a disproportionate share of homicides and gun violence in our cities. The federal government will help state and local law enforcement in cities across the country take these criminals off our streets – and keep them off our streets. That’s why the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal includes funding to ensure that federal law enforcement can show up and support state and local law enforcement. For example, the President’s budget request includes $2.8 billion for the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, an increase of 15% over FY22 enacted. This funding will increase the number of attorneys in these offices by 10%, increasing the federal government’s capacity to ramp up prosecutions of people who commit shootings and other violent crimes. The President’s budget also includes funding to hire 195 Deputy U.S. Marshals to help state and local law enforcement take violent fugitives off our streets, and nearly 100 additional administrative staff to relieve administrative burdens currently placed on Deputy U.S. Marshals so they can be re-deployed to the field full time.
 
In February, the Attorney General directed U.S. Attorneys to increase resources dedicated to district-specific violent crime strategies, such as New York City’s Gun Violence Strategic Partnership. The Safer America Plan will provide the federal government and cities with additional resources to support these strategies.
 
The Plan calls on Congress to appropriate $2.67 billion over five years for the following purposes:
 
Provide communities with funding they need to set up task forces to bring down the homicide and gun violence rate. These task forces will regularly convene federal, state, and local law enforcement to share intelligence, especially on repeat shooters, and coordinate efforts to successfully arrest, detain, and prosecute individuals committing homicides and gun violence. This funding will help police departments in communities to: hire critical personnel, including a task force coordinator, additional forensic analysts, and staff to write and process warrants for individuals suspected of committing violent crimes; pay for overtime and hire additional law enforcement officers, as needed, to execute on the work of the task force; provide life-saving equipment for officers in the field, like bullet-proof vests; and purchase forensic equipment and materials to analyze DNA, fingerprints, and data from bodycams, CCTV, and social media, while respecting privacy interests and civil rights. The Plan will also authorize the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices) to hire additional personnel to staff these task forces.
 
Equip communities with additional technology and personnel they need to quickly identify and investigate shooting incidents and image every bullet or casing recovered in the city and enhance the capacity of ATF to make ballistic matches. Additional resources for these cities include National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) ballistics imaging machines and personnel needed to operate these machines, acoustic gunshot detection technology, gunshot residue forensics technology and analyst staff, and firearm forensics evidence collection technicians. The Plan will also call on Congress to authorize significant enhancement of ATF’s National NIBIN Correlation and Training Center to expand the number of jurisdictions it services.
 
Clear court backlogs and improve pretrial supervision in order to improve public safety. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented backlog in courts’ processing of criminal cases, with courts forced to delay or dismiss cases due to lack of capacity. We need to ensure courts have the resources to fully and fairly assess people accused of crimes and detain those who are too dangerous to be released to the community, consistent with due process requirements; to process cases and ensure accountability for criminal conduct; and to effectively supervise people upon release. The Safer America Plan invests in the technology and data systems modernization necessary to ensure that the justice system runs efficiently and with the most current data, such as case management systems that effectively integrate pre-trial services, judicial, and law enforcement records; virtual access and notification systems to facilitate remote check-ins and hearings as appropriate and beneficial for all involved; or scheduling software to manage the increased volume of cases. The Plan also provides emergency funding to support pretrial and post-conviction supervision staffing and systems, ensuring that persons on release are appropriately monitored and given assistance with the employment, health, and housing services that are shown to prevent recidivism.
 
Crack Down on Other Serious Crimes Affecting Families Today
 
The Safer America Plan includes several legislative fixes needed to address emerging crime trends, target resources at violent crime, and support commonsense criminal justice reform. To crack down on serious crime, the Plan will:
 
Impose tough penalties on all forms of fentanyl. Over 100,000 people have died from drug overdoses in the past 12 months, many of them from the synthetic opioid fentanyl. The federal government regulates fentanyl as a Schedule I drug, meaning it is subject to strict regulations and criminal penalties. But drug suppliers have found a loophole: they can easily alter the chemical structure of fentanyl—creating “fentanyl related substances”—to enhance the drug’s psychoactive properties and try to evade regulation of fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Congress temporarily closed this loophole, but it will reopen in January 2023 unless Congress acts. The Safer America Plan includes the Administration’s 2021 proposal to permanently schedule all fentanyl related substances into Schedule I so traffickers of these deadly substances face the penalties they deserve.
 
Crack down on organized retail theft. Late 2021 saw an increase in high-profile incidents of organized retail theft around the country. In these incidents, crime rings recruit people to storm a brick-and-mortar store together and quickly steal high-value products for resale online. To recruit people to perpetrate the thefts and the resale, these organized theft rings typically target minors, individuals under financial duress, and individuals with substance use disorders. To tackle organized retail theft, the plan calls on Congress to pass legislation to require online marketplaces, such as Amazon, to verify third-party sellers’ information, and to impose liability on online marketplaces for the sale of stolen goods on their platforms.


2. Invest in Crime Prevention and A Fairer Criminal Justice System  

Fund Other Services to Address the Causes of Crime and Reduce the Burdens on Police Officers
 
Today, police are too often asked to respond to situations that require a mental health care provider or a social worker, not law enforcement.
 
When it comes to mental health, we know that people experiencing mental health challenges are more likely to be the victims than the perpetrators of a violent crime. Policing is not the answer to these challenges – fully funded mental health and substance use disorder services and supports are the answer. That’s why the Biden Administration has put forward a plan to transform how the nation understands and treats mental health needs. As just one piece of this plan, this July the Biden Administration launched the 988 crisis response line so people experiencing suicidal ideation or another behavioral health crisis can reach out for emergency help from a health professional instead of calling 911. The President’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget also requests an additional $700 million to expand crisis centers and crisis response so people experiencing a behavioral health crisis have a place to call and a place to go.
 
The Safer America Plan further expands the prevention and intervention strategies we know will reduce violent crime and ease the burden on police officers so they can focus on policing. This includes:
 
Helping states, cities, Tribes, and territories advance prevention strategies and invest in mental health, substance use disorder, homelessness and other services to prevent crime and reduce the burden on police. The Plan establishes a new $15 billion over 10 years Accelerating Justice System Reform grant program that jurisdictions can use to advance strategies that will 1) prevent violent crime and/or 2) ease the burden on police officers so they do not have to respond to non-violent situations that may not merit police intervention. Doing so not only enhances public safety, but also delivers evidence-based criminal justice reform that advances racial equity. For example, jurisdictions may choose to use these funds to:

  • Expand drug courts that divert individuals charged with drug possession alone into mandatory treatment and harm reduction services instead of incarceration, as well as other alternative courts such as mental health courts and veterans courts;
     
  • Expand co-responder or alternate responder programs so calls that should be answered by mental health or substance use disorder providers or social workers – alone or in partnership with police – are not solely the responsibility of law enforcement;
     
  • Increase mental health and substance use disorder services, including by training existing professionals to become certified in cognitive behavioral therapy (which helps people improve their response to stress and reduce impulsivity), trauma-informed therapy, and other evidence-based treatments effective at addressing mental health problems, disruptive behaviors, and exposure to or risk of violence;
     
  • Support teenagers and young adults with paid jobs during the summer and school year, out-of-school enrichment programs, and mentoring;
     
  • Support built environmental improvement and design strategies proven to reduce violent crime in high-risk neighborhoods (for example, improved lighting in priority areas, crafting safe passage routes for students to walk to school, and vacant and/or abandoned lot and building remediation);
     
  • Provide housing and other supportive social services to individuals who are homeless, including those displaced due to victimization; and
     
  • Increasing job training, employment, housing, and other stabilizing services and opportunities for people returning home from jail and prison.

In addition, in order to receive these critical grants, jurisdictions must repeal mandatory minimums for non-violent crimes and change other laws that contribute to increased incarceration rates without making our communities safer. The Plan calls on Congress to appropriate $14.7 billion in mandatory funding for this new program, which will add on to the $300 million request in the President’s FY23 discretionary budget to fully fund this effort.
 
Expand community violence interventions with $5 billion over 10 years. The Plan appropriates $5 billion to expand and build the capacity of focused deterrence, violence interruption, and hospital-based programs. Community violence intervention (CVI) programs are effective because they leverage trusted messengers who work directly with individuals most likely to engage in or be victimized by gun violence, intervene in conflicts, and connect people to social, health and wellness, and economic services to reduce the likelihood of violence as an answer to conflict.
 
Reform Our Justice System
 
To support commonsense criminal justice reform, the Safer America Plan will:
 
End the crack-powder disparity and make the fix retroactive. The Safer America Plan calls on Congress to end once and for all the racially discriminatory sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenses—as President Biden first advocated in 2007—and make that change fully retroactive. This step would provide immediate sentencing relief to the 10,000 individuals, more than 90 percent of whom are Black, currently serving time in federal prison pursuant to the crack/powder disparity.
 
Help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reenter society. The Safer America Plan lifts almost all restrictions on eligibility and access to vital federal benefits and programs that people need to get back on their feet after serving their time and leaving incarceration. For example:

  • Federal law currently includes a lifetime ban on eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits for people with prior drug felonies. States can modify or waive the ban, but restrictions remain across the country. The Safer America Plan calls on Congress to repeal the federal ban, nullifying state laws and regulations restricting eligibility based on conviction history, and to allow people to begin applying for benefits during the last 30 days of their incarceration. This would help Americans returning home make ends meet for their families and increase public safety. According to a 2017 Harvard study, access to SNAP and TANF benefits reduces the risk of reincarceration within one year by 10%.
     
  • Currently, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments are suspended during incarceration and terminate when incarceration exceeds 12 months. Although SSI allows people to apply 30 days pre-release, many are not aware of their ability to apply or cannot access the resources to do so, and SSDI allows applications only one month after release. The Safer America Plan would suspend rather than terminate SSI and SSDI during incarceration, automatically restart payments upon release, and allow new applicants to apply for SSI and SSDI benefits 90 days before release.
     
  • The Plan calls on Congress to eliminate the ban on paying for health services during the last 30 days of a person’s incarceration. This would help Medicaid beneficiaries returning home from jail or prison begin the transition to community care before release.

 
In addition, as part of the $15 billion Accelerating Justice System Reform grant program described above, states, cities, Tribes, and territories may use funding to provide the following services for individuals who are formerly or currently incarcerated: mental health and substance use disorder treatment, GED programs, and training and employment opportunities.
 
Promote commonsense reforms in the states. As noted above, the new $15 billion Accelerating Justice System Reform grant program will not only support crime prevention strategies; it will also incentivize state criminal justice reforms such as repealing mandatory minimums for non-violent crimes.


3. Take Additional Commonsense Steps to Keep Dangerous Guns out of Dangerous Hands 

After decades of congressional inaction, President Biden made historic progress with bipartisan support from Congress. In June, the President signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which will help keep dangerous guns out of dangerous hands. For example, the new law provides states with $750 million to invest in crisis interventions, including extreme risk protection order laws, and it requires enhanced background checks for gun purchasers under the age of 21. Earlier this month, Congress confirmed Steve Dettelbach to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), empowering this law enforcement agency with the confirmed leader it has lacked since 2015. Earlier this year, President Biden signed into law the NICS Denial Notification Act, which was included in the Violence Against Women (VAWA) reauthorization and requires federal officials to notify state and local law enforcement when individuals who are legally prohibited from purchasing firearms fail a background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
 
But, when it comes to commonsense action to reduce gun crime, Congress has more work to do. Congress needs to give ATF the resources it needs to crack down on gun traffickers and gun dealers willfully violating the law. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice launched five gun-trafficking strike forces to support state and local law enforcement in efforts to stop the trafficking of firearms across state lines. The President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget proposes $1.7 billion in discretionary funding – a 13% increase over the FY22 enacted level – for ATF to enforce our commonsense gun laws. This funding will be used to:

  • Hire more than 140 new agents, intel analysts, and other personnel, including personnel to staff the multijurisdictional gun trafficking strike forces the Justice Department launched last year. These strike forces crack down on significant firearms trafficking corridors like the Iron Pipeline – the illegal flow of guns sold in the south, transported up the East Coast, and found at crime scenes in cities from Baltimore to New York City.
     
  • Hire 160 new investigators to help ensure that Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) and manufacturers comply with the law. These investigators will help carry out the Department of Justice’s new policy, announced last year, of zero tolerance, absent extraordinary circumstances, for certain willful violations of the law by federally licensed firearms dealers that put public safety at risk.
     
  • Add 16 new positions to provide NIBIN correlation reviews and training for state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide. The NIBIN database holds millions of digital images of ballistics from crime scenes. A NIBIN search can link seemingly unrelated scenes, thereby making connections and filling in gaps to help law enforcement identify and hold shooters accountable.
     
  • Increase by more than 40% the funding for the National Tracing Center, which more than 8,400 law enforcement agencies across the United States use to trace firearms found at crime scenes. Funding will be used to upgrade technology and hire additional personnel.

 
In addition, the Safer America Plan includes the following measures, which would fully align with the Second Amendment:
 
Keep guns out of dangerous hands. The federal gun background check system is the best tool we have to keep guns out of the hands of people currently prohibited under federal law from purchasing these weapons – including felons and domestic abusers. The Plan will strengthen the background check system by requiring background checks for all gun sales, with limited exceptions. In addition, the Plan will close the terrorist, dating violence restraining order, stalking, and Charleston loopholes in our existing gun background check system, which make it easier for violent criminals to purchase firearms. And, the Plan will establish a national extreme risk protection order program and require safe storage of firearms.
 
Keeping especially dangerous firearms out of our communities. The Plan will ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. In addition, it will ban the manufacture, sale, or possession of unserialized firearms, often referred to as “ghost guns.”