Modeling a needs assessment approach for policymakers to investigate, understand, and reduce gun violence

We conducted a needs assessment evaluation as part of a community effort to plan tailored responses to reduce gun violence in a midwestern town. Various data sources were used to analyze factors leading to gun violence. The results guided the creation of evidence-based response strategies. Study findings demonstrate that even in a small town, the nature and drivers of gun violence vary considerably at the micro level and thus should be examined at this level. In this paper, we present the recommendations that followed from our study, not as solutions for other jurisdictions to adopt on their face, but rather as an example of 1) the types of solutions that follow from a thorough analysis of a local problem, and 2) a plethora of potential responses by social institutions. The goal of the paper is to provide an example process for policymakers from jurisdictions of various sizes and locales of the application of a problem-oriented approach to understanding and preventing gun violence. Undertaking a comprehensive, micro-focus to analyze the gun violence problem and its drivers in a jurisdiction provides essential information to guide the formulation of tailored, evidence-based responses.