On the morning of June 25, while attending the Giffords community violence intervention (CVI) conference, I along with several hundred other leaders, advocates, and practitioners heard the news that U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy had officially announced that gun violence is a public health crisis in our country.
This was huge, a validation to so many in the room that day and across the country—the federal government was doubling down on their support to truly build successful strategies to keep all of us safe. Just last year, the Biden administration established the first federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention, led by survivors and staunch advocates for gun safety. This was now another win for those of us around the country who have been championing a public health approach to addressing gun violence in Black and Brown communities for years!
But what does it mean? Why is it important that gun violence is a public health crisis? The surgeon general’s advisory is more than a symbolic announcement. It recommends that federal, state, and local agencies allocate more funds to data and research around both current statistics of firearm violence as well as toward understanding the short- and long-term impacts of firearm violence. This advisory also urges more investment into research and implementation of evidence-based strategies being used around the country.
Support from the federal government has been key in advancing the field of CVI and broader community safety movement. But even as we feel that the surgeon general’s advisory is a validation, I must note that it was a validation of what so many have already been doing.
For decades now, national and community organizations have been using a public health approach to reduce gun violence; the idea is not new.
Understanding that gun violence is a symptom of deeper inequities and unaddressed trauma has been core to how the work has evolved—and a cornerstone of EJUSA’s mission. The antiquated strategy of using policing, prosecutions, and prisons to address gun violence has been proven ineffective because it actually fails to address the root causes of gun violence. Now, more than ever, state and local governments have begun to acknowledge that we must address root causes if we want to see safer communities. We must increase investments which strengthen our communities and reduce factors that lead to gun violence.
Jurisdictions like Mecklenburg County, NC, have begun to invest differently. The Mecklenburg Office of Violence Prevention (MOVP) is housed with the county’s health department rather than a justice-related office. Because of the investment and where the MOVP is housed, their plan is grounded in public health and emphasizes the need to address the root causes that lead to gun violence. As part of their strategy to scale initiatives that create community safety, the office has started a Peacekeepers Academy where community orgs receive financial support as well as training and technical assistance to expand the impact of their work.
EJUSA has been a part of the public safety ecosystem In Newark, NJ, since 2014. The city hit a 63-year low in homicides in 2023—after historic investments into public health approaches to gun violence. In 2021, Newark invested millions into the city’s first office of violence prevention and trauma recovery. As its name implies the office doesn’t just see violence reduction in a silo but names trauma recovery as key to building safe and well communities.
As we advance into this new era of safety, recognizing gun violence as a public health crisis is a significant milestone, but it’s just the beginning. The federal support for data-driven, evidence-based strategies affirms the relentless efforts of community and national organizations that have long advocated for this approach. By addressing the root causes of gun violence—such as systemic inequities and unaddressed trauma—we can create safer, more resilient communities.
These successes in reducing gun violence highlight the potential of public health strategies, but their application shouldn’t stop there. These principles should extend to other forms of violence as well. When we acknowledge that all violence is rooted in trauma, we can develop more comprehensive solutions. A public health approach should guide our responses to issues like domestic violence and intimate partner violence. It should be central to how we address violence in schools, including bullying, and must steer our approach to mental health crises.
Today, trauma is an ever present part of our lives, whether experienced directly or through the constant stream of news. Police violence, community violence, and political violence all contribute to this pervasive trauma. To ensure safety, we must tackle these traumas at their roots. Combating violence requires us to prioritize racial equity, expand investment into proven strategies, and maintain our commitment to a public health approach. When we do this we will all know what it means to be safe.
