Austin’s fight against gun violence: A public health-based strategy in uncertain times

Three years after the tragedy in Uvalde, Austin is doubling down on a different approach to gun violence: treating it like a public health crisis. With the third anniversary of the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24 and an upcoming city and county summit to mark Gun Violence Awareness Month, the Austin Monitor took a closer look at local efforts to reduce gun violence.

The Biden administration categorized gun violence as an “epidemic” and the city of Austin has chosen to approach the issue from a similar lens. Austin’s Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), housed under the city’s public health department, has been operating since 2020. The OVP focuses on addressing the causes of violence, including firearm accidents, individual homicides, domestic violence-related shootings, and suicides, in addition to mass shootings (which comprise only around 1 percent of all gun violence in the United States).

OVP projects have included community and peer violence intervention initiatives, programs for at-risk youth, mental health outreach programs, and a safe gun storage campaign (Austin and Travis County residents can request a free gun lock here).

In 2022, shortly after the shooting in Uvalde, the Austin City Council also asked the City Manager to explore legal options to raise the age for purchase of assault-style firearms in Austin from the state law of 18 to 21. The attempt was ultimately unsuccessful.

Travis County has also implemented a comprehensive approach to addressing gun violence.

“In 2021, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office outlined a four-point plan, detailing how our office addresses violent gun crimes,” a spokesperson for District Attorney José Garza told the Monitor. “This included using both traditional and innovative prosecution strategies for sentencing people charged with gun crimes, working with community members to prevent gun violence by creating, supporting and implementing intervention and prevention programs; taking guns out of the hands of those at high risk of committing an act of gun violence in an intimate partner relationship; and supporting programming to help survivors and families of the victims of gun violence.”

In 2022, the Travis County Commissioners Court passed the “Safer Travis County” resolution, which included strategies to support victims to interrupt cycles of violence. The resolution supported a hospital-based violence prevention program and a prosecutor-led program that tailors interventions for at-risk individuals to reduce recidivism.

“Travis County was the first stop on a nationwide tour organized by the nonprofit group Cities United, which brought together local leaders and young people to discuss community-based efforts to reduce gun violence,” the spokesperson added. As part of the tour, the nonprofit announced that it is investing more $100,000 in Travis County to focus on violence prevention.

In partnership with the city and county, the African American Youth Harvest Foundation opened Texas’ first trauma recovery center in Austin in November of 2023. The Harvest Trauma Recovery Center provides services like housing, legal assistance, healthcare, and therapy to survivors of traumatic events. 

Violent crimes tend to spike during the summer. In June, the City of Austin and Travis County will host the fourth annual Austin-Travis County Gun Violence Prevention Summit. Nonprofit partners and advocates will present updates on their work to local officials. Local leaders will also read city and county proclamations for Gun Violence Awareness Month.

While more time is needed to study the long-term impacts of these policies, according to Austin Police Department Crime Statistics, local homicides decreased by 20 percent from 2021 to 2024. Former Council Member Alison Alter often described gun violence as “a problem we can solve,” referencing a belief that implementing a few specific policies will significantly reduce the number of gun violence incidents and deaths. These strategies include “Red Flag” laws that temporarily prevent individuals experiencing mental crises from accessing firearms, strengthening background check protocol, and preventing people with violent histories from purchasing or keeping firearms.

However, some of this work is dependent on federal grants, which makes it more vulnerable to future cuts from the Trump administration. Local efforts also face challenges in the Texas Legislature.

“The 89th Legislative Session tested our collective resolve, but it also underscored the strength, strategy, and solidarity of the gun violence prevention movement in Texas,” said Nicole Golden, Executive Director of Texas Gun Sense. While several bills, including one that would have allowed individuals to carry handguns in schools and hospitals, were successfully blocked, Golden also described “painful setbacks”.

“Common-sense policies like safe firearm storage and raising the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles were once again dismissed by lawmakers, even in the face of overwhelming public support and pleas from communities impacted by gun tragedies,” she told the Monitor. “We also saw passage of a handful of harmful bills, including SB 1362 that seeks to punish entities who enforce out-of-state Extreme Risk Protection Orders in Texas, and SB 1596 which legalizes short-barrel firearms.”

An average of 327 people in the United States are shot each day, with an average of 117 of those shootings resulting in death. To support survivors of gun violence, you can participate in Wear Orange Weekend from June 6-8.

 

Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.

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