Policing Gun Violence

Braga and Cook make a compelling case for more focused, evidence-based, and accountable law enforcement to reduce gun violence and its enormous and disparate social costs. Importantly, they acknowledge harms from systemic inequities in policing and offer practical measures to reduce harmful practices while promoting collaborative problem-solving between police and impacted communities. Braga and Cook provide an incredibly comprehensive set of strategies that police can use to reduce gun violence, including shootings by police, and to be more responsive to what communities want and need from the police. This book is a must-read for any law enforcement leader committed to reducing gun violence in the communities they serve. * Daniel W. Webster, Bloomberg Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins University *
Cook and Braga's seventy-plus years of deep research and policy experience concerning the shape and regulation of gun violence comes together in this clear-eyed and accessible book, which offers a sober and cogent account of an American public health scourge and what role police might play in addressing it. The authors make an especially strong case for enhanced policing to clear nonfatal shootings and to address illegal firearms trafficking-two areas too often misunderstood or overlooked. * Tracey L. Meares, Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law, Yale Law School *
America once again finds itself in the midst of a growing crime crisis with particular concern about gun violence and the resultant deaths and casualties, particularly in our inner cities. While the rates have not yet returned to the peak levels of the eighties and early nineties, that is little comfort to residents of violence-plagued neighborhoods. There is a great debate about how the police can be more effective in preventing gun violence while respecting individual rights. Braga and Cook, in my opinion, offer one of the most comprehensive reviews to date of the issue, and more importantly, provide realistic recommendations. Their well-researched effort has produced the right book at the right time. * William J. Bratton, retired Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and retired Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department *
In my two terms as mayor of Philadelphia, police reform was at the top of my agenda. The dual goal was always to enhance public safety while respecting citizen rights. Simply put, fair and effective policing, especially against the number one crime problem—gun violence—is essential if a city is to flourish. In this book, Braga and Cook have provided an invaluable service, making the case for the preeminent role of the police in prevention, and providing evidence-based guidance on how they can better serve the public. The stakes are very high, and this book is a must-read for anyone seeking a way to reverse the current surge of gun injuries and deaths. * Michael A. Nutter, former Mayor of Philadelphia and past President of the United States Conference of Mayors *
This is a comprehensive and practical guide to the central role played by police in combating everyday violence involving guns. Recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. * Choice *
Interested readers who are impartial to the sometimes-loud debates of the pro - police or abolish - police camps, and who want to reduce gun violence, would benefit greatly from reading this book. * Nathan Connealy, Criminal Law & Criminal Justice Books *
In Policing Gun Violence, Braga and Cook bring together their years of collective experience researching gun violence prevention. Coming on the heels of calls to defund the police following the murder of George Floyd by members of the Minneapolis Police Department in 2020, Braga and Cook defend the importance of law enforcement for "controlling our most pressing crime problem." hey concentrate on the "routine violence" that plagues low-income Black communities rather than the mass shootings and political violence that often hold Americans' attention... Overall, this is a comprehensive and practical guide to the central role played by police in combating everyday violence involving guns. * Choice *