Local opinion: Violence is a cycle — community is the solution

Two recent mass shooting events have once again brought home to people the seriousness of gun violence in our community and how vital it is that we work together to prevent it.

At TPD, we’ve added a second homicide unit to investigate fatal shootings. Our clearance (solve) rate for homicides is among the highest of any major U.S. city — over 90% in 2023.

We’ve also changed how we investigate non-fatal shootings. These often involve uncooperative victims, increasing the difficulty of obtaining a conviction. Since adopting our new approach, which came out of our participation in the U.S. Department of Justice National Public Safety Partnership program (PSP), we’ve solved more than three times as many of these cases as before.

In non-fatal shootings, when we identify the suspect, we work with prosecutors to bring forward whatever charges are available to us, and if a conviction on aggravated assault is unlikely due to the victim’s refusal to cooperate, then prohibited possession, unlawful discharge within city limits, or some other charge may be our only means of holding them accountable.

What we’re finding in many of these cases is that the suspect has a known history of violence and criminal activity and is a prohibited possessor — generally, a convicted felon whose rights have not been restored. Furthermore, we’re finding that previous arrests for prohibited possession have not deterred these offenders from continuing to possess firearms or from using them to commit crimes. The message has not gotten through.

Repeat violent gun crimes need to come with significant consequences. When a felon with a history of violence continues to flout the law and carry a firearm, that’s a serious matter. TPD is committed to working with prosecutors and the courts to ensure that it’s treated as such, every time.

Another challenge we’re seeing is the increasing number of young — sometimes very young — juveniles who are either committing gun violence themselves or who are associated with those who are.

Here too, we see the same names come up again and again. Here too, gun violence needs to carry significant consequences, with the addition of significant resources, to hopefully bring about rehabilitation. It’s tragic to see someone so young act with no apparent regard for human life. Yet releasing a repeat violent offender — even a young one — back to the environment they came from does not work.

TPD’s focus is on evidence-based policing and the smart use of technology. Our officers and detectives work hand in hand on violent gun crime cases, each contributing their own special skill set, and are very effective at catching offenders. Our department has been named a Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) by the U.S. Department of Justice. We contribute to NIBIN, the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, which helps link guns with crime scenes. POPP (Problem-Oriented Precision Policing) and VIVA (Violence Interruption and Vitalization Action) are two of our place-based methods for disrupting gun violence hotspots. POPP has officers visibly present in problem areas, while VIVA relies on partnerships with businesses, property managers, other city departments, and service providers to disrupt the infrastructure that supports criminal activity. A legacy program, the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program, helps property managers, owners, and tenants alike keep illegal activity out of their immediate surroundings. Our new communications hub, CSARC, the Community Safety, Awareness, and Response Center, will be able to provide real-time actionable intelligence to the field by incorporating cameras, license plate readers, and other technologies, as well as advanced analytical support, to improve community and staff safety. Mayor and Council approved this expansion last October to combat street racing and violent crime.

TPD also works with partners in the community who can credibly interact with and provide guidance for at-risk youth.

At TPD, we work to advance the profession of policing on a daily basis. We are quick to adopt proven methods and technologies. We are a leader nationally. But no amount of policing can solve what is essentially a public health crisis with many contributing factors: easy access to firearms, a history of violence and criminal activity, and cultural, environmental, and psychological factors.

Other solutions need to come into play.

Businesses that cater to minors need to close at a reasonable hour.

Schools need funding for counselors, psychologists, and social workers to address aggressive behavior and its root causes. So do juvenile justice facilities. Outside the schools, individual and family counseling need to be widely available. So do after-school activities. If only these services were as easy to come by as guns.

Cultural messages need to shift away from cycles of violence and revenge and toward respect, tolerance, understanding, and making it safe for young men to share their feelings with others, rather than acting out.

And we need common-sense gun laws, such as red flag laws, that remove firearms from people determined to be a danger to self or others.

These are far beyond what a police department, or a city government, can do. But they are not beyond the reach of a caring community, especially with investment and support from state and federal partners.

Gun violence, wherever it occurs, is tragic. What we’ve been reminded of recently is that it’s never just confined to certain areas. It can, in fact, erupt anywhere, and impact anyone.