New Report on Gun Violence in the Bay Area: Takeaways, Commitments, and Recommendations to Help Prevent Tragedy

Report describes Bay Area model and offers recommendations for leaders around the country to prevent gun violence in their regions

OAKLAND, CA, March 30, 2026 — Today, the City of Oakland, Brady, and California Wellness released “Gun Violence Prevention through Regional Collaboration,” a new report compiled following the first-of-its-kind 2025 Bay Area Mayors’ Regional Conference on Gun Violence Prevention attended by activists, community leaders, city staff, and mayors of Oakland, Antioch, Berkeley, Richmond, San Leandro, Stockton, and Vallejo. 

Recognizing that gun violence transcends city borders, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Brady President Kris Brown, supported by California Wellness Foundation, Fund for A Safer Future, and the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), hosted a regional conference in October 2025. In addition to describing the shared vision of a region free of gun violence, the report details recommended prevention and intervention strategies presented by experts at the conference, commitments to action by participants, and needed support for effective implementation of evidence-based strategies. 

The report concludes with recommendations for Bay Area leaders and funders to amplify the conference’s takeaways and additional recommendations for leaders in other regions of California and across the country to follow the Bay Area’s model of collaboration.

“Gun violence is not just a criminal justice issue — it’s a public health crisis,” said Mayor Lee. “That’s why we are calling on mayors across our region to come together to share solutions, strengthen collaboration, and commit to building a safer Bay Area for all.”

The report summarizes Brady and other experts’  primary, complementary strategies for Bay Area leaders to follow: (1) community-centered violence prevention, which includes focused deterrence like Oakland Ceasefire conducts, and intervention; and (2) supply-side intervention, which means inspecting gun dealers, purchasing weapons and equipment for law enforcement from responsible dealers,  and holding irresponsible ones accountable for flooding our neighborhoods with weapons used in crimes.

In a survey of over three dozen conference participants, every participant committed to take one or more actions to work toward the shared vision of the Bay Area. Survey participants also identified what they most need to follow through on their commitments to future action, including: 

• Relationship building/collaboration across cities (73%),
• Dedicated funding (59%),
• Relationship building/collaboration within cities (54%), and
• Working groups to take collaborative action (54%).  

“I was honored to unite again with my friend Mayor Lee, whose commitment to public service has always meant supporting Oakland residents and her neighbors across the Bay Area,” said Brady President Brown. “Following the conference, the City of Oakland and elected officials and city staff across the region told us how valuable it was to hear from experts about community- and healing-centered tools for gun violence prevention. At Brady, we are always ready to partner with regions like the Bay Area and others around the country to implement proven tactics to prevent gun violence and save lives.”

Click here to see the report, compiled in collaboration with Onside Partners and Kris Helé Consulting, in full.

Click here to see public resources available for other leaders to follow the Bay Area’s model.

Click here for Brady’s Gun Store Transparency Project to understand sources of crime guns in communities and regions across the country.