Gun violence is a major public health crisis throughout the U.S. and must be addressed through a comprehensive public health approach. L.A. Care strongly advocates for more state and federal gun safety legislation to protect lives, as well as for additional funding and efforts to address mental health to ensure people have access to the help they need.
L.A. Care hosted a Gun Violence Survivor Panel at the Community Resource Center in Lynwood in July 2024. View the video below to see highlights from the event. In addition, you can view videos from L.A. Care's Gun Violence Prevention Summit held in December 2022. The Summit was a partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's Office of Violence Prevention to elevate gun violence as a significant public health crisis, and work together toward solutions.
More L.A. Care Efforts
L.A. Care Statement on Monterey Park Tragedy
L.A. Care Board Unanimously Approves a Resolution on Gun Safety Legislation
Gun Violence Prevention Resources
Los Angeles County
Visit the Los Angeles Department of Public Health's Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) website to learn more about their gun violence prevention efforts. The OVP works to strengthen coordination, capacity and partnerships to address the root causes of violence, and to advance policies and practices that are grounded in race equity, to prevent all forms of violence and to promote healing across all communities in Los Angeles County.
Most recently, the Department released a multi-point Gun Violence Prevention Platform to address gun violence impacting communities in Los Angeles County and across the United States. View the news reports on the release from KCBS and KTLA.
For Providers
The mission of the BulletPoints Project is to teach medical and mental health care providers how to reduce the risk of firearm injury in their patients. They offer many resources for clinicians, including learning how to effectively assess risk, talk with patients about access to firearms, and intervene appropriately.
- BulletPoints offers a course called Preventing Firearm Injury: What Clinicians Can Do. The course is free and provides an opportunity for participants to earn one Continuing Education credit.
- BulletPoints also offers clinician office printables about safe storage in English and Spanish, including brochures and posters.
Los Angeles Unified School District
LAUSD offers several resources through its Safe Schools Task Force.
- 24-Hour Anonymous Weapons Hotline 1-800-954-HELP — Through the Los Angeles School Police Department 24-hour hotline, you may anonymously report any school safety concerns including those involving guns or other weapons. Immediately call 9-1-1 for all emergencies.
- Safe Gun Storage Letter to LAUSD Parents (English/Spanish) — this letter from the Los Angeles School Police Department Chief brings attention the legal obligations to protect minors from negligent gun storage.
- View a School Safety Video Public Service Announcement from Chief Zimmerman.
- Schools Posters — LAUSD offers various posters promoting school safety and weapon-free schools.
City of Los Angeles
The Children Exposed to Violence Unit (CEV) within the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney is the first of its kind in the nation. Prosecutors within the Children Exposed to Violence initiative are devoted to ensuring the safety and well-being of children through not only prosecution, but also prevention, intervention and educational programs.
Other Resources
The Be SMART campaign was launched in 2015 to promote responsible gun ownership in order to reduce the deaths, injuries and trauma that can result when a child or teen is able to access a gun. View their safe storage flyers in English and Spanish.
The California Department of Health Care Resources also offers some guidance resources:
- Growing Up Healthy - a brochure that includes a section on safe storage
- Risk of Injury Assessment and Anticipatory Guidelines - a guideline about unintentional injuries that includes a section on firearm safety
Project See Change is a coalition that brings together like minded organizations to provide evidenced-based solutions addressing gun violence as a public health crisis facing the nation, communities, physicians, first responders, parents and children.