Here & Now: National Gun Violence Study

Dallas Police Chief Edgardo Garcia’s focus on individuals who commit the most violent and offensive crimes while maintaining public trust may be a model for police departments looking to address the rising crime in their cities. The approach is a direct response to uptick in crimes in Dallas and cities all over the country.

The City of Dallas’ plan to combat the rising crime rate is one that may be worth implementing at police departments all over the country, according to Center for Justice Research Director Howard Henderson.

In addition to focusing on the most hardened criminals in any community, Henderson told Fox 4 KDFW that understanding what causes people to turn to crime in the first place is paramount to reducing crime rates.

“People don’t just commit violent crime, that is an abnormality,” Henderson said.

The ongoing collaborative study between CJR, Coppin State University, Jackson State University, and Delaware State University examines youth and young adult gun possession from the ages 15 to 30. Each university is surveying its respective city or nearby city for the study. The second portion of the study involves interviewing young men to find out what motivated them to seek out a gun.

Watch the full interview here.