Mayor Walsh Hosts 2015 New England Gun Violence Summit, Joined By Commissioner Evans, Mayors and Law Enforcement Officials
Today, Mayor Martin J. Walsh hosted the Second Annual New England Regional Gun Violence Summit to discuss specific strategies to address gun safety, security and illegal guns with New England Mayors and law enforcement officials. He was joined by Boston Police Commissioner William Evans and over 65 representatives from cities and towns across New England in response to the recent nationwide increase in gun violence. Officials discussed and collaborated on new ideas and initiatives to address gun violence and gun safety, strategies and tools focused on illegal guns, firearms education, and violence reduction strategies.
"Our goal is to strengthen the regional approach to reducing gun violence in our communities," said Mayor Walsh. "We are all committed. We have newly elected Mayors across Massachusetts and New England, creating a unique opportunity to build upon existing coalitions and bring fresh ideas to the table about combating gun violence and the illegal use of firearms in our region."
Regional and national policy experts were on hand to offer presentations on information sharing, local, state and regional advocacy and law enforcement best practices aimed at stemming the diversion of firearms into the hands of criminals and prohibited purchasers. Participating at the Summit were:
- Mayors and Police Chiefs from Connecticut (Bridgeport, Hartford, Shelton),Massachusetts (Boston, Beverly, Braintree, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Greenfield, Lawrence, Lowell, Malden, Medford, Methuen, Newburyport, Newton, Northampton, Springfield, Taunton, Winthrop, Worcester), Maine (Augusta, Westbrook),New Hampshire (Concord), Rhode Island (Pawtucket, Providence), and Vermont(Burlington).
- Jorge Mursuli, Strategy Director, Arms With Ethics
- Tim Daly, Director of Campaigns - Guns & Crime, Center for American Progress
- David Scholnick, Mayoral Outreach Coordinator, Mayors Against Illegal Guns
- John McCarthy, Senior Advisor, Everytown for Gun Safety
Recently, the City of Boston commissioned a study and analysis, tracing data of crime guns recovered by the Boston Police over a period of six years. The results reinforced the need to have collective, regional efforts to reduce the number of firearms that are accessible to those who wish to use them for criminal purposes. Mayor Walsh, in addressing attendees, stressed the importance of real-time information sharing on gun crime statistics, including firearm tracing information as a key step in stemming the illegal diversion of firearms into the hands of criminals.
"We see far too many guns on the street of our cities and the devastation that they cause," Commissioner Evans said. "Meeting here today only reinforces our commitment to stopping the flow of guns into our neighborhoods and making our communities as safe as they can be."
Mayor Walsh and attendees left the summit agreeing to formalize the relationship that was established. Many of the attending cities across New England are all committed to making efforts together to reduce gun violence, and the formalization of this regional group aims to bring concrete results across a significant area.
