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Firearm Policy Proposals in Maryland, 2013
Jon S. Vernick, JD, MPH
Associate Professor
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Co-Director
Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research
Homicide
Suicide
Unintent.
Legal Int.
Undeter.
Suicide: 19,392
Unintentional: 606
Homicide: 11,078
Distribution of Firearm-related Deaths in the United States, 2010
Total Firearm Deaths = 31,672
Non-Fatal Firearm Injuries
• About 2.3 non-fatal firearm injuries for every fatality
• An estimated 73,505 in 2010 (requiring at least ED treatment)
Source: CDC, WISQARS
Handgun
Rifle
Shotgun
Other Gun
Firearm Homicides by Type of Gun, 2010
Total Firearm Homicides for which Type of Gun is Known = 6,836
Handgun: 88%
Rifle: 5%Shotgun: 5% Other guns: 2%
Maryland Gun Deaths
• 538 deaths by gunshot in 2010 (NCHS)
• 312 homicides and 222 suicides
• Age-adjusted death rate (9.26/100,000) is 17th lowest among 50 states in 2010
Banning Assault Weapons
• An assault weapon is a civilian version of a military-style weapon
• Maryland currently bans assault “pistols” but not other types of assault weapons: i.e., rifles and shotguns
• Federal assault weapons ban allowed to expire in 2004.
Evaluation of 1994 Federal AWB
• AW rarely used in crime prior to ban (1-8% of all crime guns)
• Decrease in use of AW in crime post-ban• Non-significant 6.7% reduction in homicides
associated with the law• Copy-cat weapons readily available
(Koper and Roth, NIJ Research-in-Brief 1999)
Banning Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines
• Federal law outlawing future purchase or possession of LCMs >10 rounds allowed to expire in 2004.
• Current law in Maryland bans >20 round magazines.
• Proposal would reduce limit to > 10 rounds.
• LCMs applicable to many more types of shootings than assault weapons.
Permit-to-Purchase Licensing of Gun Owners
• States with both licensing and registration have a smaller proportion of crime guns coming from in-state(Webster & Vernick, Injury Prevention 2001)
• States with licensing laws have much less gun trafficking both within-state and to other states
• Maryland does not currently license owners• Governor’s proposal would add licensing
Child AccessPrevention Laws
• Maryland has a CAP Law.• Penalty is currently a misdemeanor
(max $1,000 fine).• Bill would enhance penalty to a felony
(max 3 years or $5,000 fine)• Good research evidence that CAP laws
reduce unintentional deaths among children and teen suicides.
• Evidence that stricter penalties help.
Mental Health and Guns
• Federal law prohibits those “adjudicated as a mental defective” or committed to a mental institution from owning guns.
• Information often missing from background check databases.
• Most persons with mental illness are not dangerous.
Mental Health and Guns, cont.
• MD law currently: 30 consecutive days in a medical institution for mental disorder
• Governor’s bill would add additional categories, including: not criminally responsible; incompetent to stand trial; involuntary admissions; guardianships
• A controversial area: need to balance public safety with desire to minimize stigma and not discourage care seeking
Reporting Lost and Stolen Guns
• Theory is that requiring gun owners to report lost/stolen guns enhances accountability.
• Maryland currently has no such law.• Bill would mandate reporting within 72
hours of discovery.• States with theft/loss reporting have
30% lower rates of gun trafficking.
Conclusion
• Many evidence-based policies proposed
• Center for Gun Policy and Research providing data, testimony, interviews.
• Also working at the federal level: universal background checks, etc.