Firearms, Police and Public Health

David Hemenway, PhD

Harvard Injury Control Research Center

National Institute of Justice

Research for the Real World

August 24, 2016

Support from the Joyce & Bohnett Foundations & the VHA
Outline

1. US Exceptionalism—Gun Violence

Population Homicide

Killings of Police 

Killings by Police 

2. Surveys

Of Police: Discretion (concealed carry)

Of Adults on Police Performance

Of Adolescents on Police Performance

3. Community Collaboration 

Boston Bicycle Report 

Operation Lipstick

4. Collaboration with the Gun Community

Means Matter Campaign 
US Exceptionalism

Population Homicide: Among highincome countries, firearm death is a 

uniquely American problem
U.S. vs. Other First World Countries

(Similarities)

Similar Crime 

Similar Violence

Similar Bullying rates

Similar Aggression/Depression rates 

among school children
How are we different? 

Easy Access to Guns
U.S. vs. Other First World Countries

Differences

• More private guns

Handguns

+ Permissive gun laws

= More gun homicides

= MORE HOMICIDES
Death

International Analyses

Homicide, Suicide, and Unintentional Gun Deaths among 5-14 year olds:

The United States vs. the Other High Income Populous Countries, 2010

Mortality Rate 

Ratio 

Homicides

Gun homicides 18.5

Non-gun homicides 1.4

Total 3.4

Suicides

Gun Suicides 11.2

Non-gun Suicides 1.1

Total 1.5

Unintentional firearm deaths 12.2

Total firearm deaths 14.2

Source: Grinshetyn & Hemenway AJM 2015
Homicide, Suicide & Unintentional Gun Deaths 15-24 year olds

US vs. other High-Income Populous Countries

Homicides

Gun Homicides

Non-Gun Homicides

TOTAL

Suicides

Gun Suicides

Non-Gun Suicides 

TOTAL

Mortality Rate Ratio 

(vs. all males in other countries)

White Males Black Male

21 192

2 9

8 65

9 8

0.7 0.4

1.4 1.0

Unintentional Firearm 

Deaths 8 15
Killings of Police

2008-2012

Number of American Police Killed = 265

Number of German Police Killed = 2

More than 30X the rate

Zimring HL&PR 2016 
Are Police More Likely to be Killed in 

Some States? Why?
Killings of Police

# Killed (1996-2010)

High Gun States Low Gun States

Household Gun Ownership 52% 14%

LEOs 1996-2010 2.7m 2.7m

Homicide Deaths 263 85

Homicide Rate per 100,000 

LEO

9.5 3.1

Swedler et al AJPH 2015
Killings by Police

US vs. Germany

40 times the rate

Zimring 2016
Legal Intervention Homicides

16 NVDRS States, 2005-2012

Supplementary

Homicide Reports

Vital Statistics NVDRS

Total 742 victims 906 victims 1,552 victims

Examples

Georgia

North Carolina

Colorado

Oregon

Massachusetts

92

43 

60 

29

6 

108

33

77

94

36

228 

166

119 

91

46

Barber et al AJPH 2016
Surveys
Surveys of Police: 

Use of Police Discretion for Gun 

Carrying Permits in a May-Issue State

Poll of MA police chiefs

Want to keep police

chief discretion for 

issuing permits ?

(N= 121)

Definitely Yes 76%

Yes 13%

Neutral 2%

No 2%

Definitely No 7%

Hemenway & Hicks

JPHP 2015
Reasons for Permit Denial

• “Long history of alcohol abuse and domestic 

calls to the home”

• “Arrested for DUI and fought with officers”

• “Applicant asked son to help him commit 

suicide”

• “Said he was going to take his guns and go to 

one of my officer’s homes and shoot him in 

the head”
Surveys of Youth

Boston Data Project

• Fear 

• Witnessing

• Victimization

• Perpetration

• Sibling Violence

• Peer Violence

• Dating Violence
Fear

% Feel Unsafe*

Home

School

To/from school

On your street

Neighborhood

Public Transportation

*rarely/never feel safe
Fear

% Feel Unsafe*

Home 3

School 10

To/from school 16

On your street 19

Neighborhood 21

Public Transportation 30

*rarely/never feel safe

2006
Adult Views of Police in Boston

• Police doing a good job 84%
Adolescent Views of Boston Police

How Much Do You Trust Police in Your 

Neighborhood?

Not at all 26%

Only a little 27%

Some 34%

A lot 13%
Community Collaboration
Boston Bicycle Report
Bicycle Report

• Helped Reduce Bike Accidents

• Changed Relationship between Bike Advocates 

and Police
Citizens for Safety

• “Where Did the Gun Come From”

• Operation Lipstick-women as straw purchasers
“Operation Lipstick”
Public Health Collaboration with the 

Gun Community: 

Suicide Prevention

Without changing any laws, 

Without changing anyone’s mental health
Working with gun advocates to reduce 

suicide

• Gun Shop Project

• Gun Trainers
“We hope you will join us in a new effort to prevent 

suicide in Maryland. Our goals include: 1) 

informing firearm retailers and ranges about 

suicide so you and your staff can be alert for signs 

that a customer may be seeking a firearm for that 

purpose; 2) educating all customers that if 

someone they know is at risk of suicide they 

should act to reduce their access to firearms”
Lots of successes in injury/violence 

Prevention