It is no secret that there is a gun violence issue in Miami-Dade County. Although it has become common nature in our society, statistics show that gun violence has drastically gone down since the 1980’s. The Miami Herald states that in the early 80’s Miami-Dade recorded an average of 500 homicides per year. In contrast, in 2016, there were only 187 shooting homicides. In the United States, gun violence is the cause for about 30,000 deaths and 60,000 injuries every year. This is the reason why we must take a public health approach to this crisis and make sure people understand how serious it really is. Miami-Dade County can reduce local firearm violence by tightening restrictions on gun sales, increasing police patrolling in minority areas, and improving community involvement.
Acquiring a gun nowadays is probably one of the easiest things you can do. The process is fairly simple; you walk into a gun store, pass a background check and you are then the owner of a firearm. In Florida if you are 18 and you have no criminal record nor have you ever been treated in a mental institution then you are permitted to buy a rifle and take it home the same day you purchase it. This includes semiautomatic rifles like an ar15, the most common weapon used in mass shootings. Yet, to buy a handgun you have to be a certain age and comply with a mandatory
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Increasing police presence in the neighborhoods with the highest rates of gun violence will help reduce gun related crimes. Having more officers on the street is an effective way deter criminals. For example, people are more likely to not commit crimes if they see many officers on the street. In addition, if more police officers are available then their response time will decrease. Furthermore, the police assigned to these troubled neighborhoods should practice community policing in order to gain the trust of and work together with its