Buffalo Taking Steps To Reduce Gun Violence In The City

Even though gun crimes all over America have been going down, there are still too many people who die from the illegal use of guns. Like most areas in the United States, there are people who die from gun violence all over the nation.

Guns are part of the American experience and ingrained in our constitution, but too many people die from them every year. According to Pew Research, 46,728 people died in 2023 from some sort of gun-related incident. In fact, nearly 80% of the murders in America in 2023 came from the use of a firearm.

Now, even though Buffalo has been experiencing a decrease in gun-related crimes and deaths, it's not enough to stand by. There is always more to do, and city officials have created a new office within local government and hired a local to help work towards reducing gun violence in Buffalo.

KEEP READING: Buffalo Sets Surprising Crime Record

Since 2020, Adrienne Garr has worked as a social worker with the Erie County Medical Center and Buffalo SNUG (Should Never Use Guns) Street Outreach Program.

Now, Garr will serve Buffalo as the first Executive Director of the city's new Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

This new city department is modeled after a federal program that was created by former President Biden in 2023 in response to the May 14th white domestic terrorist attack in Buffalo's Kingsley neighborhood.

While President Trump has disbanded the federal program, the efforts in Buffalo continue.

Garr plans to hit the ground running and is looking to engage with people and the community immediately to help continue to make Buffalo safer.