Preventing Community Violence
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The problem: Widespread concerns about neighborhood safety and violent crime are compounded by the difficulty of interpreting crime data and understanding the true impact of policies and programs. Those challenges complicate efforts to mitigate risk and improve community wellbeing.
Fair and unbiased information: RAND creates resources and develops evidence on effective policies regarding firearms, perpetration of violent crime, and victims of violent crime, which can be used by policymakers and the general public alike.
- Firearm violence: RAND’s Gun Policy in America (GPIA) initiative and related projects rigorously evaluate programs that prevent violent crime, support victims, and promote safer communities. While child-access prevention and background check laws can reduce firearm injuries and deaths, many other policy effects remain unclear. New state-level data reveal rising and widely varying rates of nonfatal firearm injuries, underscoring the need for more comprehensive policy evaluation.
- Human and Labor Trafficking: Although research on effective victim identification and screening in law enforcement training is limited, organizational change is needed to implement a victim-centered approach. Persistent barriers and critical data gaps in labor trafficking complicate research and prevention efforts. Inconsistent definitions and limited data on trafficking prevalence also hinder resource allocation and policy responses, underscoring the importance of standardized indicators and community-informed research.