In many cases of crimes involving a firearm, police investigators need to know how far the firearm was held from the victim when it was discharged. Knowing this distance, vital questions regarding the re-construction of the crime scene can be known. Often, the original firearm used in commission of a suspected crime is not available for testing or is damaged. Crime laboratories require the original firearm in order to conduct distance determination tests. However, no empirical research has ever been conducted to determine if same make and model firearms produce different results in distance determination testing. It was the purpose of this study to determine if there are significant differences between the same make and model of firearms in distance determination testing. The findings indicate no significant differences; furthermore they imply that if the original firearm is not available, another firearm of the same make and model may be used.

Lethality of aggravated assaults has long been discussed in terms of weapons used, location of assault, demographics of victims, and regions of the US in which the assault occurred. However, dating back to the 1950s, medical response times have been discussed as a mediating factor, but minimally explored in analyses. The current study assesses the lethality of shootings with a primary focus on emergency medical and police response times in New Orleans, LA. Along with routine activities and social disorganization indicators, 102 shootings that occurred in 3 months are analyzed to establish response time patterns of lethality. Results indicate that neither medical nor police response times impact the odds of a victim surviving a shooting, but instead, it is the days on which the violent encounters occur and the socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhood that have a stronger influence on life or death, although not statistically significant. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

The current study examines firearms’ impact on the relationship between illegal drug markets and homicide. At the county-level, Iowa and Virginia are analyzed using crime data from the National Incident Based Reporting System. More specifically, gun availability is tested as a mediator for county drug crime rates and homicide counts. Variable selection and prediction is based on routine activity and social disorganization theories. I argue that social disorganization allows the context for which criminal opportunity presents itself through routine activities. I posit gun availability mediates a positive relationship between illegal drug markets and homicide, with differences between urban and rural communities

No / This book focuses on the use of small arms in violence and attempts by the state to govern the use and acquisition of these weapons. It is likely that hundreds of thousands of people are killed every year as a result of armed violence ¿ in contexts ranging from war zones to domestic violence. This edited volume examines why these deaths occur, the role of guns and other weapons, and how governance can be used to reduce and prevent those deaths. Drawing on a variety of disciplines, ranging from anthropology through economics to peace and security studies, the book¿s main concern throughout is that of human security ¿ the causes and means of prevention of armed violence. The first part of the book concerns warfare, the second armed violence and crime, and the last governance of arms and their (mis)-use. The concluding chapter builds on the contributors¿ key findings and suggests priorities for future research, with the aim of forming a coherent narrative which examines what we know, why armed violence occurs, and what can be done to reduce it.

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The current study examines the relationship between shootings and police firearm arrests at a more detailed spatial and temporal level than has previous work. Using data from Philadelphia during the years 2004 to 2007 two dynamics are investigated: the relationship between a shooting and subsequent police firearm arrests nearby in space and time; and the relationship between a police firearm arrest and subsequent shootings nearby in space and time. In order to simultaneously consider spatial and temporal variation at a more micro-level, the current study uses a modified version of the Knox (1964) close pair method, a spatio-temporal clustering technique first used to study contagious diseases, and later used to analyze near-repeat patterns in the study of crime. The first question explored the relationship between a shooting and subsequent police firearm arrests. Results showed elevated patterns of firearm arrests were approximately two and a half times greater than would be expected levels of firearm arrests than if shootings and subsequent firearm arrests lacked a spatio-temporal association. Greater than expected elevated patterns persisted for up to about a fifth of a mile away and about one week but the strength of these associations waned. The observed patterns suggest an immediate and geographically targeted police response to a shooting and a somewhat sustained effort. Turning attention to the next question, an initial slightly elevated level of shootings followed a firearm arrest but for only a couple of days and about one block; shooting swiftly dropped below expected levels as one moves away in time and space. The waning and eventual significant drop in shootings may arise from ecological deterrence, but any suppression of shootings was short-lived. Overall, the current work highlights the close associations in space and time between police and offenders and suggests that police and offender activity is not simultaneous as the police response to a shooting immediately whereas potential offender's response to police actions is moderately delayed. Potential implications for theory and policy regarding both police behavior/police organizational responsiveness and ecological deterrence are discussed. / Criminal Justice

Recent research has provided empirical support for counseling guidelines for pediatric gun safety and has demonstrated that some parental behaviors increase children's risk of gun injury. However, few data exist on patterns of gun-injury risks, especially for children younger than age 10, children from middle-class and non-urban families, and children of non-gun-owning vs. gun-owning parents. Part I of the study presents data on gun injury risks in a middle-SES sample of rural and suburban gun-owning and non-gun-owning parents and their 5-8-year-old children (N=60). Gun-owners (38.3% of the sample) endorsed an average of 10.57 out of 21 assessed gun injury risks, and evinced variable patterns of gun injury risks. Gun injury risks were much lower among non-gun-owners. However, a small number of non-gun-owners reported their children to have gun exposure risks more typical of gun-owners' children (e.g., child goes hunting/shooting). Part II of the study presents data on the children's responses to a crisis scenario involving a threat associated with defensive gun use (home intrusion). Children's crisis response plans were categorized as competent, passive, bold, or aggressive/gun. Competent plans were common (38.6%). However, most children generated non-competent crisis responses, including passive plans (21.1%), bold plans (19.3%), and aggressive/gun plans (21.1%). These results may help to identify styles of crisis response for targeted preventive interventions and emergency response training. The common theme in these results is that encouraging safe behavior, whether by young children responding to a crisis or by parents who own guns, requires an understanding of motivations for unsafe behavior and barriers to safer behavior. / Ph. D.

No / The illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) is a global problem, and one consequence of this illicit trade is that regions can become flooded with these guns before, during and following a violent conflict. Effective tracing of these arms requires adequate marking and record-keeping systems as well as improved international co-operation by relevant authorities. This publication argues that the main obstacles to progress in this area are political in nature, rather than technological. Other issues discussed include: the selection of categories and types of SALWs for inclusion in a tracing mechanism; and the structures and institutions required for an effective firearms tracing system.

Violence is a pervasive public health issue that disproportionately affects certain populations, particularly young black males in urban settings. Though this population experiences higher rates of violent victimization and perpetration, race should not be analyzed as an isolated variable. The social disorganization theory posits that social, cultural, and structural environmental factors shape a person’s behavior; this theory would suggest that higher rates of violence in young black men can be attributed to environmental factors rather than intrinsic traits like race. Young black males in urban settings experience high rates of poverty and institutional oppression, which primes these communities for excessive psychological trauma. The lasting effects of trauma, through Adverse Childhood Experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder, increase a person’s risk of violent victimization and perpetration, creating a cycle of violence in the community. Likewise, the high rates of firearm ownership create more opportunity for violent confrontation, especially in impoverished areas where joining a gang is perceived as one of the only options for economic and social survival as per the “Code of the Street.” In order to alleviate the burden of violence on this population, the root causes of violence, such as socioeconomic inequity and under-resourcing of disadvantaged communities, must be addressed by providing appropriate social services to those whom are most affected. / Urban Bioethics