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HomeMy WebLinkAboutviolence-report-brief-20252015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 20240 50 100 150 200 Preliminary data from death certificates indicate that 119 gun homicides occurred in Alameda County in 2024 – a 16% decrease from the 141 recorded in 2023. This marks the lowest number of gun homicides since 2020 when the same total was recorded. Gun violence is a public health issue that impacts the health and well-being of everyone in Alameda County. It harms those injured or killed and has rippling impacts on their loved ones and throughout our community. The Alameda County Public Health Department’s Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) is committed to working with the community to reduce violence and promote peace. Promoting Peaceful Families and Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County Report Brief Alameda County Gun Homicide Trends (2015-2024) Pandemic disruptions associated with a large spike Coordinated intervention efforts coincide with a decrease Intervention programs resume, violence decreases 119 141 77 This brief highlights key information in Promoting Peaceful Families and Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County. The report’s title comes from Alameda County's Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) and is a long-term priority focused on supporting community members' safety and resilience. Click here to read the full report Public Health Impacts of Gun Violence Gun homicides in Alameda County Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County Number of Gun Homicides in Alameda County 1 Note: All citations for this brief are available in the full report High levels of gun violence in Alameda County are driven by a combination of deep structural inequities coupled with easy access to firearms. A legacy of racist public policies such as redlining created under-resourced communities with limited opportunities, and the conditions for conflicts, tensions, and violence to arise. Easy gun access magnified these tensions, increasing the likelihood that conflicts escalate into lethal violence. Structural inequities that increase the risk of violence: Economic hardship: Living in high-poverty neighborhoods increases exposure to chronic stressors – such as food insecurity, housing instability, and limited job opportunities – making it easier to become involved in gun violence. Housing and built environment: Violence is more likely to occur in areas with high levels of blighted properties and vacant lots. Access to care: Untreated trauma and behavioral health needs can act as a trigger when someone faces a stressful situation or a conflict. Education: Schools in high-poverty neighborhoods often have less resources to adequately prepare students for the future. Inequities in access to high-quality education shape inequities in violence. Justice and Policing: When communities do not feel safe to rely on law enforcement for safety or justice, residents may resort to handling disputes on their own, often leading to retaliatory or ongoing violence. Incarceration: The unintended consequences of harsh penalties for nonviolent offenses contributed to mass incarceration, family separation, and disconnected communities. Drivers of Violence 2 Gun violence in Alameda County is overwhelmingly concentrated in communities that have endured decades of marginalization due to inequitable public policies and limited access to resources. Maintaining progress in reducing gun violence demands a sustained commitment to addressing its root causes, and requires a collaborative approach that supports strategies which center the voices and leadership of community members. Kristen Clopton, Manager, Office of Violence Prevention Alameda County Public Health Department Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County Less than 5.0%5.0%-9.9%10.0%-19.9%20.0%+0 5 10 15 20 8x Lowest Poverty Highest Poverty Census tracts where less than 5% of residents live in poverty Age-Adjusted Gun Homicide Rate per 100,000 Census tracts where 20%+ of residents live in poverty Alameda County Gun Homicide Rates by Neighborhood Poverty Level (2019-2023) Alameda County Overall Gun Access Gun access exacerbates challenges and inequities faced in our community. Guns may escalate what could have been a verbal argument or less severe fight into a homicide or serious injury. Owning a gun in your home is associated with: 3x 2x higher risk for suicide 83% Among county residents, guns were involved in: of all homicides 93% of children and young adults homicides higher risk for homicide among household members Living in Under-Resourced Communities Increases Risk for Violence 3 Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County Residents in the poorest Alameda County neighborhoods 8 times higherhave a gun homicide rate than those in the wealthiest neighborhoods Gun violence is ahealth equity andsocial justice issue. Domestic violenceand firearm accessare a lethalcombination. Black residents are 44 times more likely to die by gun homicide compared to their Asian counterparts, the group with the lowest rate of firearm homicide. No other disease or injury in Alameda County displays such stark disparities by race and ethnicity. When an abuser has access to a firearm, women are five times more likely to be killed by their abusive partner. From 2017 to 2022, the Alameda County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team identified 39 domestic violence-related homicides in Alameda County, and 46% of domestic violence homicides were by firearm. There are large, longstanding differences in the level of gun violence by race and ethnicity, sex, and age. Groups Disproportionately Impacted Children and Youth Guns are the leading cause of death for children and transition aged youth (ages 0-24). Children who live in neighborhoods with high levels of gun violence often experience repeated trauma of hearing gunshots, witnessing shootings, or losing loved ones. Adverse childhood experiences caused by gun violence are linked to declines in academic achievement and poor psychological, emotional, and physical health across the lifespan. Domestic Violence Racial Disparities Photo credit: Hasain Rasheed 4 Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County Most gun homicides that occur in Alameda County are concentrated in under-resourced Oakland neighborhoods, but all areas of the county are impacted. Oakland accounts for only 25% of the total population in Alameda County but made up 80% of all gun homicides from 2014 to 2023. Oakland Hayward Ashland Castro Valley Newark San Leandro Union City Livermore Berkeley Fremont Alameda County0 5 10 15 20 25 Rate per 100,000 23X 11X 2.6X Gun violence is a regional issue which requires collaboration between Bay Area Counties. Oakland has a gun homicide rate: times higher than Hayward times higher than San Leandro times higher than Fremont Alameda County Gun Homicide Rate by Injury Location (2014-2023) 2.6 11 23 of gun homicides victims killed in Alameda 24% County were residents of other counties. 15% Gun Violence is Geographically Concentrated of Alameda County residents who died by gun homicide were killed outside of the county. 5 From 2014 to 2023: Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County Gun Homicides Among Alameda County Residents (2005-2024) Number of Gun Homicides 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 20240 50 100 150 200 99 124 70 154 Long-term decreases in gun homicides prior to the pandemic Large rise during the pandemic Decrease in gun homicides, return to pre-pandemic levels Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Alameda County experienced a decades-long decline in gun homicide rates, with rates from 2017 to 2019 even falling below the national average. This success corresponded with a range of violence prevention and intervention strategies involving public safety and community-based organizations. However, the pandemic disrupted many of these efforts, and the firearm homicide rate rose steeply—increasing by 68% from 2019 to 2021. There were increases in homicides nationwide. In response to the recent rise, numerous agencies and community-based organizations in Alameda County reinforced violence prevention and intervention efforts. These renewed efforts have coincided with decreases in gun homicides in 2023, and again 2024. While these trends are encouraging, the gun homicide rate remains above pre-pandemic levels, highlighting the need for sustained investment in violence prevention. Long-term Trends and Prevention Efforts Responding to a Rise in Gun Violence 6 This graph shows gun homicides among Alameda County residents regardless of where the shooting occurred. It includes residents killed outside the county and excludes nonresidents killed within the county. This approach helps guide prevention and intervention strategies for those who live in Alameda County. A Focus on Alameda County Residents Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County Community Violence Intervention (CVI) strategies can support those impacted by structural inequities and violence. These strategies: Work within communities impacted to disrupt conflicts before they escalate and help individuals heal. Provide trauma-informed care and healing-centered engagement. Reducing violence in Alameda County requires a coordinated approach that incorporates prevention, intervention, and long-term community transformation. Each of these strategies plays a role in addressing the root causes of violence and firearm access, engaging individuals and communities affected by gun violence, and working towards systemic changes to ensure safe and healthy communities. Strategies to Reduce Violence Community Violence Intervention Photo credit: Youth Alive, YA Outreach Team 1 7 Violence Intervention Addresses immediate risks to prevent violence from escalating or recurring. Engages those most likely to be involved in or at risk of gun violence. Violence Prevention Stops violence before it occurs by addressing the underlying drivers of harm. Promotes positive influences within the community. Violence Prevention Stops violence before it occurs by addressing the underlying drivers of harm. Promotes positive influences within the community. Violence Intervention Addresses immediate risks to prevent violence from escalating or recurring. Engages those most likely to be involved in or at risk of gun violence. Community Transformation Focuses on long-term community-centered strategies that center healing and provide resources to eliminate structural inequities that lead to violence. Creates thriving communities and neighborhoods where intervention strategies are no longer needed. Coordinated Approach to Reduce Gun Violence Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County Launched in 2023, the OVP is dedicated to addressing the impacts of violence, which harm both individual and community health. The OVP is housed within the Alameda County Public Health Department and serves to promote peaceful families and communities. OVP is one of only a dozen county-level Offices of Violence Prevention in the United States. The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) Advocating for funding and support to community-based violence intervention and prevention programs The Office of Violence Prevention is Committed to: 8 Funding forcommunityviolenceintervention andpreventionprograms Technicalassistanceservices toimprove datacollection andstorytelling Host Advancing BestPracticesconvenings Analyze violenceand injury data toimprove datatransparency Narrative changeinitiatives toamplifycommunity-centerednarratives Convene healthsystem providersand communitypartners toenhance servicecoordination Mental healthand wellness forfrontlinepreventionprofessionals OVP Programming Activities Promoting gun policy and public awareness to reduce gun violence Strengthening collaboration and service coordination through issue-related round tables and convenings Improving data sharing to inform violence prevention efforts Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County We all play a role in reducing gun violence within our communities. As you reflect on the findings from this report, please consider how you can support impactful changes to address the presence of guns in our communities and advocate for longstanding community-driven efforts to reduce gun violence. 9 To learn more about the Office of Violence Prevention, please click here. To continue strengthening existing work in Alameda County, future efforts should prioritize: Fund and implement community violence intervention strategies to interrupt cycles of violence and support those at highest risk. Int ervention Call to Action Support prevention efforts that promote healing, create opportunity, and shift norms around firearm use. Prevent io n Work with communities to eliminate structural inequities and promote peaceful and healthy families and communities. Transformation Addressing inequities contributing to violence in Alameda Countyrequires ongoing efforts to ensure that strategies evolve and respondto the needs of impacted communities. Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities: Maintaining Progress in Reducing Gun Violence in Alameda County