DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37163
title: Disrupting Gun Transfers, Los Angeles, California, 2014-2015
title: Archival Version

description: The data was used to provide estimates of the effects of a Los Angeles letter program on citywide levels of homicide, robbery, and aggravated assault with a firearm. This study will provide the city of Los Angeles and other jurisdictions in California (and beyond) with information on the impact and cost-effectiveness of an innovative gun letter program. This project involves the following: statistical analysis of gun-level data to assess program impact on reporting guns lost or stolen, statistical analysis to evaluate the impact of the program on city-level crimes involving a firearm, and assessment of program costs.
description: The purpose of this study was to assess the program to send letters to handgun purchasers during their ten-day waiting periods between purchase and taking possession of the firearm. The letter advised the purchaser that the new weapon was registered to them and that failure to properly record any transfer or loss of the weapon with California's Department of Justice could result in the owners' liability for any future misuse of the gun.
description: The city of Los Angeles, California launched a citywide gun letter program. Letters were sent to all handgun purchasers residing in zip codes within Los Angeles from January 1, 2013 through September 1, 2015. The letter explained the duty of handgun owners to conduct any sale or transfer through a licensed dealer, and that failure to do so could lead to prosecution. In addition, the letter emphasized other criminal penalties that could be brought against gun owners who knowingly transferred, sold, or lent a firearm to anyone prohibited from possessing one, including someone with a known mental disorder. Furthermore, it emphasized that if a child gained access to the handgun and injured himself, herself, or others, the gun owner was subject to criminal prosecution.
description: The first two files listed are organized by year, month, and agency. The first file is comprised of information from 24 states, but the second file is limited solely to the state of California. <strong>foranalysis_post2001_monthly.csv</strong>: (42 variables, 6,216 cases) - year (2001 - 2014) and month, geography (state and county), agency name and size, and crime totals (e.g., manslaughter, murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary) <strong>foranalysis2015_w_covs_Oct262016_sort.csv</strong>: (69 variables, 1,344 cases) - year (2008 - 2015) and month, geography (state and county), agency name and size, crime totals (e.g., manslaughter, murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary), arrests, and population characteristics <strong>mapping.csv</strong>: (3 variables, 168 cases) - year (2001 - 2014) and month
description: None
description: Response Rates: Not applicable
description: Presence of Common Scales: None
description: Datasets: DS1: Disrupting Gun Transfers, Los Angeles, California, 2014-2015
description: Handgun purchases in the state of California. Smallest Geographic Unit: City
description: record abstractsThese data are being re-distributed without the full ICPSR product suite. The files have been zipped for release following minimal processing.