Saturday, September 7, 2024
9/7/2024
Firearm-related injury remains a pernicious and pervasive threat to the health of District of Columbia residents. Between 2017-2022 violent gun crime increased 39% citywide, and firearm injury visits to DC hospitals increased 95% (from 650 in 2017 to 1,272 in 2022). In 2022, the Metropolitan Police Department reported identifying more than 900 victims of non-fatal shootings. Most of the DC’s gun violence is the direct result of community gun violence and domestic gun violence. The District’s shootings and gun homicides are geographically concentrated, with just 10 of the District’s 129 neighborhoods accounting for more than a third of all incidents citywide. To that end, four of the top five neighborhoods are located in Ward 8; the Ward with highest levels of poverty, drug overdose and firearm injury victimization. In 2021, the District released its first Gun Violence Problem Analysis; this research report found that in a given year, there are at least 500 identifiable people in the District who are at “very high risk” of being a victim or perpetrator of gun violence, and likely no more than 200 at any given time. These highest risk individuals account for approximately 60-70% of all gun violence in the District. Based on conversations among the District’s FASTER implementation team, public health/gun violence researchers and hospital/community-based violence interrupters, firearm injury is also tightly clustered with many repeat victims. Based on local observations, every additional victimization increases the likelihood of that individual becoming the victim of a homicide. In addition, partners have indicated that the linkages between community and hospital-based violence interruption could be strengthened through additional information sharing and a knowledge of where victims are coming from and the communities they are discharged to. In the District, we have six hospital based and 36 community based violence interruption efforts across the city. At present, the District leverages FASTER data to spot trends and monitor victimization among sensitive populations. While this trend following is useful; partners have expressed interest in more real time data sharing, connecting shooting victims with community interpreters and developing a system to pro-actively identify individuals who are repeat victims. Through this grant, DC Health and the DC Criminal Justice Coordinating Council seek funds to: Establish a data linkage between our hospital ED surveillance system and our Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS); Create a real time data display of firearm injury ED visits and the FEMS firearm injury transports for use by DC Health, DC’s Hospital Based Violence Interruption and Community Based Violence Interruption efforts; and Develop a module that can identify repeat victims of firearm injury and assault. Through this grant, the DC FASTER implementation team hopes to build on the relationships and needs identified during implementation of its original FASTER grant, while supporting the District’s hospital and community-based violence interruption efforts.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
