Stop Violence Against Women
A project of The Advocates for Human Rights

Link between Domestic Violence and Increase in Gun

The International Association of Chiefs of Police has released a new report on the recent rise in gun violence. Taking a Stand: Reducing Gun Violence in Our Communities recommends that judges and law enforcement personnel remove guns from all domestic violence situations.

The report recommends enforcing federal laws prohibiting the sale of firearms to domestic violence misdemeanants and the subjects of domestic violence protection orders. It also recommends the creation of state laws to require law enforcement to remove all firearms when responding to domestic violence situations.

Over half of the deaths each year caused by intimate partner violence are firearm related.

The report was the result of a meeting of law enforcement executives at the Great Lake Summit on Gun Violence held in April of this year. To download the report, click here.

Compiled from: "Police Chiefs Urge Measures to Protect Victims of Domestic Violence," Family Violence Prevention Fund, 11 October 2007.

For More Information

For more information on the legal responses to domestic violence, please see the Law Enforcement, Prosecutions and the Judiciary portion of this website.

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