Brady Applauds New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut for Newest Actions to Address the Flow of Crime Guns

Washington, D.C., October 7, 2021 - Today, Brady applauds the governors of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, for announcing a Memorandum of Understanding among their respective states to facilitate the sharing of crime gun data. This regional pact will allow law enforcement agencies within these states to better understand the sources and paths of trafficked firearms, and take coordinated and evidence-based actions to prevent gun violence by reducing the flow of crime guns across shared state borders.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“The governors of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut have shown that they understand the importance of addressing the supply of crime guns in any comprehensive effort to prevent gun violence, and that regional cooperation is necessary to achieve this goal. This newest effort among these states is a historic regional data sharing agreement, and one that will tangibly help to reduce gun violence in the north east and beyond. Brady thanks Governors Murphy, Hochul, Lamont, and Wolf for their leadership and commitment to this issue.”

What is a crime gun?

A crime gun is a gun that has been recovered by law enforcement officials after being used in a crime, suspected of being used in a crime or possession of the gun may have been a crime. Only 5 percent of gun dealers are responsible for 90 percent of recovered crime guns nationwide.

About Brady’s Supply-Side Approach

Read Brady’s full Combating Crime Guns report here.

Most efforts to prevent gun violence focus on the perpetrators of violence with guns. These demand-side efforts, whether public policy, criminal justice reform, or social service programs, are necessary to save lives. But, alone, they are not sufficient to end America’s epidemic of gun violence, and the burden of ending gun violence should not rest solely on the communities most impacted.

A supply-side approach is focused on the supply of crime guns and encourages elected officials, community members, and law enforcement to address not just the shooter, but also the source or supplier of the gun.

By using a behavior change approach that holds gun dealers accountable, in addition to existing intervention and prevention efforts, local communities could experience a reduction in homicide and shooting rates in even the most impacted neighborhoods. In other words, a supply-side strategy is a critical aspect of a comprehensive public health approach to reducing gun violence.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.


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