The Problem

Gun-related violence is a major and ongoing public health crisis in the United States, with nearly 100,000 people injured or killed every year. Data on gun sales and gun violence are critical for the development of effective evidence-based policies to combat this ongoing crisis, and for engaging the public around these important issues. There is a critical need for reliable data sources to meet these challenges.

The Solution

The goal of this project is to create a public-facing interactive platform that provides members of the public with real-time targeted information, forecasts and alerts about gun ownership and gun violence in their area. This platform will also empower policy makers with the practical research tools and evidence they need to monitor the effects of ongoing gun policy changes, as well as support planning of interventions to meet specific threats. The primary impact of the project will be to increase engagement and education amongst members of the public nationwide around the issues of gun violence by providing common sense, targeted information that is tailored to their specific location and time. It will also provide policy makers with integrated data, forecasts and research tools to support evidence-based policy evaluation and planning.