The City Council handed an ordinance Wednesday that requires police to submit an annual report on gun trafficking information, a measure aimed toward reducing down on the “150-200 shootings” that happen every year in Boston.
The ordinance, efficient instantly after passage, offers the Boston Police Department three months to “conduct a study on reducing the flow of firearms into the city” and submit a report on that information to the City Council, mayor and the Boston Public Health Commission, the laws states.
A report will then be submitted to these three entities on an annual foundation, with the research and last doc together with info for the previous calendar 12 months, based on the ordinance, which the Council expects will inform coverage modifications.
“I believe that this ordinance not only gets us closer to addressing gun violence in our communities, but reinforces our commitment to having evidence-based policymaking,” stated Councilor Brian Worrell, who co-sponsored the measure with Council President Ed Flynn.
Worrell pointed to a report launched earlier this 12 months by the Boston Public Health Commission, which discovered murder to be the main reason behind demise amongst youngsters, ages 1-17.
The newly-required report comes out of discussions with residents and the mayor’s workplace round exploring “solutions backed by data so we can address the root causes of violence,” Worrell stated.
Further, he cited prior motion taken by the City Council, which declared gun violence as a public well being emergency 13 months in the past.
“I want to thank my colleagues for taking another step forward to addressing it,” Worrell stated.
Among the information that shall be collected, as a part of an annual report, is whether or not the gun was concerned in a criminal offense, the place it originated, when it was final offered legally, the place it was seized, the age of the individual with the gun when it was recovered, and whether or not the vendor or weapon was registered.
The ordinance states that solely 10% of firearms recovered at metropolis crime scenes in 2021 had been bought in Massachusetts, whereas the remainder had been introduced in by 18 different states.
“The annual report on the flow of illegal firearms into Boston will assist law enforcement and policymakers better understand the impact of illegal gun trafficking, and help us develop strategies on gun violence prevention and education,” Flynn stated in an announcement.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”