Violent Crime & Firearm Use in St. Petersburg and Pinellas Co. FL

St. Petersburg summary: Over a three year period, 2015-17 data on violent crime reveals:

  • 55% of criminal homicides involved a firearm
  • 2% of sex offenses involved a firearm
  • 36% of robberies involved a firearm
  • 29% of aggravated assaults involved a firearm
  • ** 29% of all violent crimes involved a firearm

Pinellas County summary: Over a 22 year period, 1996-2017 data on violent crime reveals:

  • 55% of murders involved a firearm, a pattern that trended upward during the period
  • 12% of manslaughters involved a firearm; pattern trended downward during a period
  • 1% of forcible sex crimes involved a firearm
  • 32% of robberies involved a firearm
  • 16% of aggravated assaults involved a firearm; pattern trended upward during a period

St. Petersburg Data: 2015-17       

  2015 2016 2017 Annual totals/average % of category
Criminal homicide 17 28 24 69/23
Firearm involved 10 15 13 38/13 55%
Sex offenses 185 122 136 443/148
Firearm involved 3 1 4 8/2.7 2%
Robbery 573 556 499 1628/543
Firearm involved 182 212 195 589/196 36%
Aggravated assault 1126 1029 1187 3342/1114
Firearm involved 329 308 337 974/325 29%
Total violent crimes 1898 1727 1846 5471/1824
Firearm involved 524 535 549 1608/536 29%

Sources:

  1. FL Dept. of Law Enforcement, FL Uniform Crime Reports 2015-17, provided by St. Petersburg Police Department
  2. Centers for Disease Control data by county
    https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/florida/florida.htm
  3. Centers for Disease Control, Firearm Mortality Data https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/firearm_mortality/firearm.htm
  4. FL Dept. of Law Enforcement, Crime Data by Jurisdiction 1996-2017
    http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/Data-Statistics/UCR-Offense-Data.aspx
  5. FL Dept. of Law Enforcement Uniform Crime Statistics, Domestic Violence
    http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/Data-Statistics/UCR-Domestic-Violence

Best Practices in Preventing Gun Violence

We believe that gun violence is a public health crisis and that we must figure out ways to live with guns while 1) employing measures to make them safer and 2) keeping them out of the hands of those who may cause harm to themselves or others.  We’ve examined a few of the programs which seek to address these issues at the local level.

The program most successful in reducing violent crime and gang violence:

Group Violence Intervention, aka Ceasefire

Goal:  To reduce violent crime and gang violence through a strategy of prevention, intervention and suppression.
History:  First demonstrated as Operation Ceasefire in Boston in 1996.  The original strategy was sponsored by the National Institute of Justice and co-directed by David M. Kennedy, Anthony Braga and Anne M. Piehl of Harvard University.  The program is now affiliated with the National Network for Safe Communities and has been implemented nationally in over 30 cities.  Different cities call the program by different titles.

Facts You Should Know:
Core Elements of Program:  GVI has repeatedly demonstrated that violence can be dramatically reduced when a partnership of community members, law enforcement and social service providers directly engages with the small and active number of people involved in street groups and clearly communicates a credible moral message against violence, prior notice about the consequences of further violence, and a genuine offer of help for those who want it.  Research on the GVI method has found a profound connection between serious violence and highly active criminal groups.  A typical city-level finding is that groups representing under 0.5% of the city’s population will be connected as offenders, victims or both in 50-75% of all homicides in the city.

  1. “Call-ins” are a central method of communication. They create an opportunity for offenders serving probation and parole sentences for violent crimes and currently involved with gangs/groups to meet resource partners and law enforcement officers face to face.  Offenders attend call-ins by “invitation only.”  If you get an invitation it means you and your group are already on local, state & federal radars.
  2. “Pulling Levers:” Each participant is warned that from this point forward, she/he is targeted for vigorous prosecution if the violence does not stop. Those who participate/cooperate are offered incentives such as assistance with job training, housing, childcare, relocation, getting driver’s license, help clearing warrants, mentoring, etc. depending on the resources of the city.
  3. It is vital that those who participate/cooperate are connected with assistance promised.  The program seeks to reduce recidivism and future arrests.

Evaluations:
* The majority of cities participating in GVI programs reported reductions in homicides and shootings.  In Boston, the city that developed Ceasefire, the average monthly number of youth homicides dropped by 63 percent in the two years after it was launched.  In Pittsburgh, homicides hit a 12 year low in 2017.  In Newburgh NY, shootings went from 55 victims in 2015 to 17 in 2017.  Oakland CA began the program in 2012 with 126 murders; in 2017 the total was 74.  New Haven CT went from 13 homicides in 2016 to 7 in 2017.  Law enforcement officials credit GVI strategy for the declines.
* A Campbell Collaboration systematic review of focused deterrence strategies known as “pulling levers” found a statistically significant positive effect on reducing crime.  Group/ gang intervention programs had the largest effect.
* The National Institute of Justice’s Crime Solutions website gives the program its highest evidence rating, one of few programs which received the designation.  Details at www.crimesolutions.gov

For More Information:  

  1. National Network for Safe Communities, “Group Violence Intervention,” https://nnscommunities.org/our-work/strategy/group-violence-intervention
  2. Lois Beckett, “How the Gun Control Debate Ignores Black Lives,” Pro Publica, Nov. 24 2015.  https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-gun-control-debate-ignores-black-lives
  3. Anthony Braga and David Weisburd, “The effects of ‘pulling levers’ focused deterrence strategies on crime,” Campbell Collaboration, March 4 2012.  https://www.campbellcollaboration.org/library/pulling-levers-focused-deterrence-strategies-effects-on-crime.html

Programs which complement GVI:
Becoming a Man

The Youth Guidance organization creates and implements school-based programs to help youth overcome obstacles, focus on education, and succeed in life.

  • The program was originated in 1969 in Chicago schools, focusing on young men in disadvantaged communities. The programs are based on weekly group sessions, individual and family counseling, and linkage to services. There is also a component for workforce development and job readiness, including job placement, high school support, and college prep.
  • In 2017, the program was implemented in Boston.
  • There is also a program for young women: WOW (Working on Womanhood.)

Evaluation:  A study by the University of Chicago Urban Lab covering the period from 2013-2015 showed a 50% reduction in violent crime arrests, a 35% reduction in total arrests, and increased on-time high school graduation of 19% in areas where the program operates.

For more information: 

  1. Youth Guidance, “Becoming A Man,” www.youthguidance.org/bam/
  2. Reducing Violence and Increasing Graduation, University of Chicago Urban Lab https://urbanlabs.uchicago.edu/projects/becoming-a-man

Cure Violence, a public health model

The program operates on the premise that like an infectious disease, violence is better understood and more successfully treated as an epidemic. Violence is treated using methods and strategies associated with disease control.  Methods include:  deleting and interrupting transmission/conflicts, identifying and treating high-risk individuals to reduce disease/violence, and changing community & social mores.

  • To Interrupt Transmission – The program utilizes outreach workers who are highly trained, live in the community, are known to high-risk people, and are culturally appropriate, similar to indigenous workers used in the public health model. They are trained to detect potential shooting events, mediate conflicts, and keep safe in dangerous situations.
  • Identifying and Changing the Thinking of Highest Risk Potential Transmitters – They act as mentors and provide multiple weekly counseling sessions and social services regarding drug abuse, housing, employment assistance, as well as providing conflict resolution when there has been a shooting, visiting shooting victims at hospitals to begin the process and avoid escalation.
  • Changing Social Mores – They utilize public education, community events, responses to shootings, and community mobilization to change group and community norms related to the use of firearms. They educate on health elements such as: the neurological effects of violence, public health intervention, socio-behavioral science, and violence as a contagion (example:  intergenerational transmission).
  • Coordination with law enforcement –Foster understanding that the program and law enforcement are both working on the same issue, primarily interested in reducing violence, focused as working with the community and relying on data to guide implementation.
  • The program operates in several cities including Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, and Chicago.

Evaluations:
There have been numerous independent studies of Cure Violence programs documenting the results of the programs.  For example:  The John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City research and evaluation of Cure Violence, NYC in 2017 showed there was a 30% reduction in shootings compared to previous years, a 37-50% reduction in gun injuries in two of the communities participating, and a 63% reduction in one other community.  There was also an 18% reduction in killings across 13 Cure Violence sites.
For information on other studies, visit http://cureviolence.org/results/scientific-evaluations/

Gun safety campaigns:
Safe Firearm Storage – Best Practices

We have a problem:
A 2016 survey by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health concluded that 54% of gun owners do not practice safe storage.  1/3 of handguns are kept loaded and unlocked.  75% of guns used in youth suicide attempts and unintentional shootings are stored in the residence of the victim, relative or friend.  

To reduce firearm injury, the safest home is one without firearms.  If firearms are in a home, locking, unloading, and separating ammunition can significantly reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of a child being harmed.

Key characteristics of effective campaigns:

  • Clinical intervention, especially among pediatricians, to promote safe firearm storage; consultations following a psychiatric crisis are particularly effective at prompting parents to practice safe storage.
  • Free distribution of gun locks are most effective at actually getting people to safely store firearms.
  • Broad community engagement is needed; partnering with groups that garner respect among gun owners is particularly effective (law enforcement, hunting & outdoor organizations, active-duty military, NRA).
  • Educational component, like the BeSMART program.

One model program is the Broward Co. FL’s Lock-It Up program started in 2018 by the local League of Women Voters.  They’ve formed a broad coalition of pediatricians, mental health providers, preschools, churches, organizations like Moms Demand Action, and governmental institutions. Visit our Legislation post for effective legislative solutions.

Legislative Solutions

While we can’t solve this dilemma exclusively through legislation, we know that some legislation is highly effective at reducing gun violence, deaths, and injuries.  What works/what doesn’t?

Effective Gun Safety Legislation

While Americans remain sharply divided about gun control, individual proposals are widely favored. The most popular and effective gun control legislation measures, like universal background checks and keeping guns from violent criminals, are supported by 85% of registered voters.

Gun rights and public safety can co-exist.  The majority of gun owners support reasonable restrictions including a requirement for criminal background checks, assault weapon bans,  waiting periods for gun purchase and campus carry bans.

An armed citizenry does not reduce crime.  Among 27 developed countries, there is no significant correlation between guns per capita and the crime rate.

Much firearm violence isn’t a criminal problem but stems from the unregulated distribution of a dangerous consumer product.  Since the 1970s, Congress has explicitly prohibited the Consumer Product Safety Commission from regulating and overseeing the design of firearms and ammunition; toy guns are regulated by the CPSC.  The 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Guns Act protects gun manufacturers against liability claims.

Strengthening background checks and extreme risk protection orders are among the most effective ways to keep firearms away from dangerous people.  In the three years after Missouri eliminated its permit requirement in 2007, gun homicide rates increased 25%.  The law’s repeal was associated with an increased annual murder rate of 14%. Conversely, Connecticut’s gun homicide rate fell 29% percent in the 18 years after it began requiring permits in 1995.

Stand Your Ground laws increase homicide rates while resulting in no corresponding reduction in criminal activity.  Nonetheless, Florida’s Stand Your Ground legislation was expanded in 2017, shifting the burden of proof to prosecutors in pretrial hearings and removing the requirement that a person must first be attacked in their home or vehicle before using or threatening to use force.

Safety measures reduce firearm deaths.  Massachusetts requires guns to be locked; youth suicides are 35% below the national average.

For More Information:

  1. “America Under Fire: An Analysis of Gun Violence in the United States and the Link to Weak Gun Laws,” Center for American Progress, October 11, 2016.
  2. “A Roadmap for Reducing Gun Violence in America [lecture by Dr. Daniel Webster],” Syracuse University, Oct. 13, 2016.
  3. “What Works to Reduce Gun Deaths,” The Economist, May 22, 2018.

Child Access Prevention Laws

Guns in homes pose a clear risk to the safety of children, especially when guns are not stored safely or securely; tragic unintentional shootings and youth suicides occur far too often.  CAP laws hold gun owners accountable for safe storage of their firearms and helps prevent guns from falling into young hands.

  • 75% of guns used in youth suicide attempts and unintentional injuries are stored in the residence of the victim, relative or a friend.
  • 1/3 of handguns are kept loaded and unlocked, and most children know where their parents keep their guns-even if the parents think otherwise.
  • There are no federal level CAP laws. Each state determines its own laws.  27 states and D.C. have enacted some form of CAP law. There are a variety of forms ranging from imposing criminal liability when a child gains access to unsecured guns, to only when the child uses the firearm and causes death or injury.

Evaluation:

  • CAP laws have been shown to be effective at reducing youth suicides and accidental shootings.
  • One study showed that of twelve states where CAP laws had been in effect for at least one year, unintentional firearm deaths fell by 23% among children under age fifteen.
  • Researchers found that CAP laws were associated with an 8.3% decrease in suicides among children ages 14-17.

For More Information:

  1. Rand Corporation, “The Effects of Child Access Prevention Laws”
  2. Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, “Child Access Prevention”

Gun Violence Protection Orders

Gun Violence Protection Orders (GVRO), often referred to as “extreme risk protection orders” and “red flag laws,” empower families and law enforcement to prevent gun tragedies by temporarily eliminating access to guns to individuals who are believed to have an increased risk of endangering themselves or others.

  • 80% of people considering suicide give some sign of their intentions and 38 out of the 62 mass shooters in the last 20 years were reported as displaying signs of dangerous mental health problems prior to the killings.
  • GVPOs are based on a long-standing infrastructure and procedure of domestic violence protection orders and involve both a court hearing and clearly defined due process protections.
  • As of July 2019, at least 17 states have some form of GVPOs or similar laws including California, Connecticut, Indiana, and Washington.  Many were enacted after the 2018 Parkland HS shooting.

In 2018, the FL Legislature enacted Risk Protection Orders which allow law enforcement to petition the court to temporarily seize ammunition and firearms, for up to one year, from a person who poses a significant danger to him/herself or others.   Under this law, family and household members cannot petition the court directly; we urge our legislators to expand state law to include those groups. Click here to see number of GVPOs issued in Pinellas County, FL between implementation in April 2018 and late July 2019.  63 of 332 issued during period were filed by the St. Petersburg Police Department.

For More Information:

  1. Sue Carlton, “Dangerous but disarmed: how Florida has confiscated thousands of guns,” Tampa Bay Times, 22 Oct 2019.
  2. Americans for Responsible Solutions, “Fact Sheet: Gun Violence Protection Orders”
  3. NY Times, “What are Red Flags and How do They Work?” (Aug 6, 2019)

Universal Background Checks

Since 2013, between 89-97% of Americans support background checks for all gun sales, with support peaking at 97% in the immediate aftermath of the Parkland shooting.  Gun owners and non-gun owners alike share a common belief that guns should be kept away from dangerous people.

By federal law, it is illegal for a licensed dealer to sell a firearm without performing a background check. Background checks preclude sales to a potential buyer who is:

  • under indictment for a felony
  • a user of a controlled substance
  • a fugitive from justice
  • an undocumented immigrant
  • under a court restraining order for harassing or stalking an intimate partner
  • mentally defective
  • dishonorably discharged from the military
  • convicted of domestic violence
  • renounced U.S. citizenship

2. The most dangerous gap in federal firearms laws is the “private sale” loophole. Neither federal nor Florida law requires unlicensed “private sellers,” including those who sell online and at gun shows, to complete a background check.

3. In the absence of a comprehensive background check system, criminals and other prohibited persons routinely exploit the massive loopholes in our laws.   About 80% of firearms acquired for criminal purposes are obtained through transfers from unlicensed sellers

4. Researchers confirm that expanded background check laws, which close loopholes, effectively improve public safety and save lives. 21 states and the District of Columbia have extended the background check requirement beyond federal law to at least some private sales.  States with universal background check laws experience:

  • 48% less gun trafficking
  • 38% fewer deaths of women shot by intimate partners
  • 53% lower gun suicide rates and 31% fewer suicides per capita than states not having these laws

For more information:

  1. Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
  2. Pew Research Center on Gun Policy
  3. Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research

Every 16 hours an intimate partner with a gun kills a woman in the U.S.  Domestic violence assaults involving a gun are 12 times more likely to end in death than assaults with other weapons.

Summary: 

In St. Petersburg during the 3 year period 2015-17, domestic violence was involved in:

  • 14.5% of criminal homicides
  • 24% of sex offenses
  • 27% of aggravated assaults
  • 51.5% of simple assault, threats, and stalking

We do not know how frequently firearms were used in domestic violence.  If the frequency of firearm use for each category above holds true for domestic violence, we can estimate that:

  • over half of criminal homicides involving domestic violence involved a firearm
  • one-quarter of sex offenses & aggravated assaults involved a firearm

In St. Petersburg during the 3 year period 2015-17, in instances of violent crime involving domestic violence, arrests were made 54% of the time.  In instances of simple assault, threats and stalking involving domestic violence, arrests were made 40% of the time.
In the state of Florida, the murder rate in domestic violence cases rose from 162 in 2017 to 196 in 2018 or 20.9 %.  Rape cases increased by 13% from 1580 to 1783 during this period.

Sources:

  1. Centers for Disease Control data by county
    https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/florida/florida.htm
  2. Centers for Disease Control, Firearm Mortality Data
    https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/firearm_mortality/firearm.htm
  3. FL Dept. of Law Enforcement, Crime Data by Jurisdiction 1996-2017
    http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/Data-Statistics/UCR-Offense-Data.aspx
  4. FL Dept. of Law Enforcement Uniform Crime Statistics, Domestic Violence
    http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/Data-Statistics/UCR-Domestic-Violence

        – updated January 2020

Facts You Should Know:

  • Nationwide, suicides account for over 60% of firearm-related deaths. 
  • Suicide is often an impulsive act and guns are a devastatingly effective means of ending one’s life.
  • Firearms are used in approximately half of all suicides. Between 2015-17 there were 591 suicides in Pinellas County with 52% involving the use of a firearm.  Between Jan 1 2013 and June 30 2018, there were 137 suicides involving a firearm in St. Petersburg.


SUICIDE DATA:
Suicides in Pinellas County
5 years between 2012-2016          982 suicide deaths, an average of 196/year
2014                                       195  (17.3 suicides per 100,000 population)
2015                                       199 (18 suicides per 100,000 population)
2016                                       214 (19.6 suicides per 100,000 population)
2017                                       178  (16.9 suicides per 100,000 population)
Summary:  Suicides trended upward in the county between 2012-2016 dropping significantly in 2017. 
Suicides in Florida
2014               3035  (13.8 suicides per 100,000 population)
2015               3152  (14.5 suicides per 100,000 population)
2016               3122  (14.1 suicides per 100,000 population)
2017               3187  (14.1 suicides per 100,000 population)
Summary:  The national age-adjusted suicide rate was 13.5 per 100,000 population
in 2016; in Florida it was 14 per 100,000; in Pinellas County it was 19.6 per 100,000. 
Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in Florida, placing Florida 21st in the nation.


FIREARM DEATH DATA:
Firearm Deaths in Florida
2014               2410
2015               2559
2016               2704
Summary:  The firearm death rate in Florida in 2016 was 12.6 per 100,000, higher than the nation’s 11.8 per 100,000 rate.


SUICIDE BY FIREARM DATA:
Suicides by Firearm in St. Petersburg
During the 5.5 years from Jan. 1, 2013 – June 30, 2018, there were 137 suicides by firearms.

Suicides by Firearm in Pinellas County
2015-17 total suicides (see annual data above)             591
2015-17 suicides by firearm                                               307  
Summary:  52% of suicides during this 3-year period involved a firearm; this
equates to 8.4 per 100,000 population.  (data from www.flhealthcharts.com
under profile of fatal injuries)

Suicides by Firearm in Florida (all data is per 100,000 population)
Year   Rate of firearm death     Rate of suicides              % of suicides using firearms
2012  8.01                                        15.52                                         51.61%
2013  8.0                                           14.95                                        53.51%
2014  7.73                                        15.26                                         50.66%
2015  8.05                                        15.83                                        50.85%
2016   8.1                                          14.1                                           57%
Summary:  53% of suicides during this 5-year period involved a firearm.

Sources:

  1. Centers for Disease Control “Fatal Injury Data”
    https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/fatal.html
  2. Centers for Disease Control “Suicide Mortality by State”
    https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/suicide-mortality/suicide.htm
  3. Centers for Disease Control searchable database for “underlying cause of death” https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/datarequest/D76;jsessionid=702709C6F4D24E3EBE05475813D1161A
  4. Florida Health Charts, Suicide Deaths, Pinellas County
    http://www.flhealthcharts.com/charts/DataViewer/DeathViewer/DeathViewer.aspx?indNumber=0116
  5. Florida Health Charts, Suicide Deaths Pinellas County / 3 yr rolling rates, age-adj.http://www.flhealthcharts.com/charts/DataViewer/DeathViewer/DeathViewer.aspx?indNumber=0116
  6. St. Petersburg Police Department data on suicides by firearms obtained August 2018
  7. Study by Governing magazine using data from the National Center for Health Statistics: 
    http://www.governing.com/gov-data/health/county-suicide-death-rates-map.html 

Impact of Gun Violence

The impact of gun violence is far-reaching and devastating.  By understanding the impact and acknowledging shared concerns, we can begin to identify ways to effectively address gun violence in a bipartisan manner.

Impact on children

To protect children and adolescents, priorities for gun safety policies include safe firearm storage, extreme risk protection orders, and universal background checks.

  1. 1 in 3 homes with children have guns; most children 5-14 years of age know where the firearm is stored.
  2. Among households with firearms and children less than 18 years of age, 22% have a loaded gun in the home.
  3. The presence of loaded unlocked firearms in the home increases the risk of suicide among adolescents by 4x.

For More Information & How to Take Action:

Domestic violence & firearms

Guns and domestic violence have long been a deadly combination. Every 16 hours an intimate partner with a gun kills a woman in the U.S. In addition to the physical danger guns pose, research reveals long-term emotional and behavioral effects of violence, aggression, depression and anxiety resulting from exposure to domestic violence. Visit our Domestic Violence and Firearms Stats Sheet for analysis on domestic violence and use of firearms in Pinellas County and St. Petersburg.

  • Domestic violence assaults involving a gun are 12 times more likely to end in death than assaults with other weapons or physical harm.
  • 44% of mass shootings between 2008-2013 involved intimate partners and 80% of child victims of mass shootings (4 or more deaths; not including school shootings) died in an incident connected to domestic violence (Dept. of Justice study, 2010-16)
  • The gun homicide rate for women in the U.S. is 21 times higher than in other high-income countries
  • 81% of Americans support legislation that helps keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and stalkers [1]

 For Additional Information:

  1. Barry, Colleen L., et al., “Public Support for Gun Violence Prevention Policies Among Gun Owners and Non-Gun Owners in 2017” American Journal For Public Health 108, no.7 (2018) 878-881.
  2. Cipriano, Andrea, TCR staff, “The Deadly Link Between Guns and Domestic Violence”, The Crime Report.org, May 30, 2019.
  3. Keck, David, Rothman, et al. “Guns and Violence Against Women: America’s Uniquely Lethal Intimate Partner Violence Problem”, EverytownResearch.org, October 17, 2019.

Impact on communities

Gun violence has changed the way many Americans live their lives.

  • Exposure to gun violence can create a cycle of violence. Psychological effects may include anger and disassociation, desensitization to violence, and an increased likelihood that violence will be used to resolve problems or express emotions.Impact of Guns on Communities
  • Routine gun violence is more concentrated in African American communities and disproportionately affects young men, particularly young African Americans.
  • The US is average among developed countries on urban crime rate, mental illness, use of violent media, and non-firearm homicide rates.  But our gun homicide rate is 20% higher because of easy access to guns. Guns don’t kill people; they just make it really easy.
  • 60% of all gun deaths are suicides.  A gun in the home makes a suicide 3x more likely because many suicide attempts are impulsive; 85-91% of firearm suicide attempts are successful.
  • The community pays a significant price for gun violence.  A 2019 study by Force Detroit showed that one gun homicide in Detroit costs local and state governments $1.6M; for a gunshot injury, it’s $1.1M, click here for a cost breakdown.  Crime and gun violence encourage urban flight, thus reducing housing values, community investment, and business growth.

For More Information: 

“Impact of Gun Violence on Children, Families and Communities,” Child Welfare League of America, vol. 23, no. 1.

“Detroit homicide prosecutions cost society $1.6M per shooting, report says,” The Detroit News, June 29, 2019.

View our analysis of local violent crime, domestic violence, and suicide rates and check out the facts below on the impact of guns on communities.

Suicide & Firearms

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in America. Guns are a devastatingly effective means of ending one’s own life. Nearly 50% of all suicides in America involve a gun and suicides account for about 60% of all gun-related deaths. 58 Americans kill themselves with a gun every day. You can see this in our suicide and firearms report with local data through 2017.

  • According to the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), guns are not the most common way to attempt suicide, but they are the most fatal. Suicide by firearms has an 80-90% effective rate, compared to all other methods, such as drug overdose or hanging.
  • Suicide is often an impulsive decision. A gun in the home increases the risk of suicide.
  • Approximately 90% of people who survive suicide attempts don’t go on to kill themselves.
  • According to a 2017 study of Maryland suicides published in AJPH, men account for about 80% of all suicides and nearly 90% of gun-related suicides.
  • Suicide is the leading cause of death among Veterans; 20 Veterans die from suicide each day.

For More Information:

  1. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, “Firearms & Suicide Prevention.”
  2. Kerry Shaw, “10 Essential Facts about Guns and Suicide,” The Trace, September 2016.
  3. VA Suicide Prevention Program, “Facts about Veteran Suicide,” July 2016.

Unintentional Shootings

Local Impact:  In the period January 2014 – August 2018 there were 533 unintentional shootings verified in Florida; 32 were in Pinellas County and 20 of those were in South Pinellas, District 13, which includes St. Petersburg

Facts You Should Know:
*  4.6 million children in the United States live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm.
*  An average of 7.6 children in the U.S. die each day from gunshot wounds.
*  A federal government study estimated that 31% of unintentional shootings might be prevented by two devices: a childproof safety lock and a loaded chamber indicator (a device that indicates there’s a bullet in the chamber and built into the gun; a slide can be used to swap out the part).

  1. For More Information:
    Pinellas County data from Gun Violence Archive, www.gunviolencearchive.org
  2. Deborah Azreal, Joanna Cohen, Carmel Sahl and Matthew Miller, “Firearm Storage in Gun-Owning Households with Children: Results of a 2015 Survey,” Journal of Urban Health, June 2018.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29748766
  3. Devin Hughes, “Gun Storage Works: Safe Storage Saves Lives [opinion],” The Hill, May 31, 2018.  https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/390074-gun-control-thatworks-safe-storage-saves-lives

2020 Florida Proposed Gun Legislation

2020 Florida Proposed Gun Legislation… status as of 17 March at the conclusion of the legislative session.
* SMART legislation: promotes gun safety
For details on legislation in both houses, visit https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bills/2020 

SENATE

Bill #/ Position Sponsor(s) Description Status
SB94 

SMART legislation*

 

Companion HB451

 

 

 

 Book; filed 8/2/19 Transfers of Firearms;Requires transfer of firearms to be conducted through a licensed dealer 8/16 Referred to Judiciary; Criminal Justice; Rules 

9/19  Referral changed to Infrastructure and Security, Criminal Justice; Rules; now in Infrastructure & Security

1/14 Introduced – SJ12

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB114
SMART legislation 

 

Companion HB47

 Berman & Cruz; filed 8/6/19 Risk protection orders: redefines term “petitioner” to include person who has biological or legal parent-child relationship, legal guardian of or who’s a spouse or sibling of respondent 8/16 Referred to Infrastructure and  Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ13

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB134 

SMART legislation

 

Companion bill:

HB6009

 Taddeo; filed 8/14/19 Repeals preemption of firearms and ammunition regulations to the Legislature, to the exclusion of local jurisdictions 9/3 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ14

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB266 

SMART legislation

 Farmer; filed 9/12/19 Safe storage of loaded firearms; revises the locations and circumstances in which a loaded firearm is required to be kept or secured with a trigger lock; deleting conditions that pertain to the crime of failing to safely store or secure a loaded firearm. 10/15 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Criminal Justice; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ23

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB270 

SMART legislation

 Farmer; filed 9/12/19 Sale and delivery of firearms; requires parties to complete the sale, lease, or transfer through a licensed dealer; authorizes licensed dealer to charge a buyer or transferee fees 10/15 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ23

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security

 
  

 

      
SB310 

SMART legislation

 Stewart; filed 9/17/19 3-D printed firearms; prohibits printing, transferring, importing, distributing, selling, possessing, or giving to another person certain 3D-printed firearms; requires persons in possession of such firearms to relinquish them or to destroy them before the prohibition takes effect 10/15 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ25

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB370
SMART
legislation		 Cruz; filed 9/25 Safe school officers; requires school district boards to provide approval before certain charter schools employ school resource and safety officers; authorizes school districts to oversee, manage and establish best practices for employment of said officers within district 10/15 Referred to Education; Infrastructure & Security; Rules 

1/14 Introduced-SJ28

3/14 Died in Education
       
SB398 

SMART legislation

 

Companion bill HB245

 

 

 Berman & Rodriguez; filed 9/30 Concealed weapons and firearms; prohibits concealed weapon or firearm licensee from openly carrying a handgun or carrying a concealed weapon or firearm into any child care facility, etc. 10/15 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ31

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB428 

SMART legislation

 Braynon & Rodriguez; filed 10/2 Prohibited places for weapons and firearms; revises locations where concealed firearms licensee is prohibited from openly carrying a handgun or carrying a concealed firearm 10/15 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ33

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB460 

SMARTlegislation

 

Companion HB289

 Book; filed 10/4 Sales of ammunition; requires background checks for the sale or transfer of ammunition; providing exceptions 10/15 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ35

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB462 

SMART legislation

 

 Book; filed 10/4 Public records/buyer or transferee/ammunition; provides exemption from public records requirements for records containing certain information 10/15 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ35

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB548 

SMART legislation

 Rodriguez; filed 10/17 Firearms; requires the Department of Law Enforcement to include on standard form certain questions concerning potential firearm buyer’s or transferee’s criminal history and other information related to eligibility to make firearm purchase; requiring department to notify certain law enforcement agencies when potential sale or transfer receives a non-approval 11/1 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ42

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB558 

SMART legislation

 Bracy; filed 10/17 Large-capacity magazines; defines “large-capacity magazine”; prohibits sale, transfer, or possession of large-capacity magazines; provides criminal penalties & exceptions 11/1 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Criminal Justice; Appropriations 

1/14 Introduced – SJ43

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB586 

SMART legislation

 Rodriguez; filed 10/18 Firearms; requires that, if neither party to a firearm sale or transfer is a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, all other sales or transfers may be conducted only between two persons who have valid concealed weapons or firearms licenses 11/6 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ45

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB634 

SMART legislation

 

 Powell; filed 10/23 Lawful ownership, possession, and use of firearms and weapons; prohibits person from owning, possessing, and lawfully using firearms, ammunition and supplies while engaging in certain lawful uses if within specified distance of real property of certain locations, etc. 11/6 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ48

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB652 

SMART legislation

 

Companion bills

HB201, SB1802

 Criminal Justice, Pizzo filed 10/24 Urban Core Gun Violence Task Force; Creating the Urban Core Gun Violence Task Force; specifying duties and powers of the task force; authorizing the task force to seek assistance from state agencies; providing for access to certain information and records, etc. 11/6 Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations SC on Criminal and Civil Justice; Appropriations -SJ 49 

1/14 Introduced-SJ49

1/28 CS by Criminal Justice YEA 4 NAY 0-SJ214

1/29 Pending reference review under rule 4.7(2) Committee Substitute; CS by Criminal Justice read 1st time – SJ218

1/31 In Appropriations SC on Criminal & Civil Justice

2/18 Subcommittee Recommendation: CS/CS by Appropriations SC on Criminal & Civil Justice YEA 8 NAY 0

2/20 In Appropriations

3/14 Died in Appropriations
       
SB718 

SMART legislation

 Berman (co-introducer Cruz); filed 10/31 

 

SMART legislation

 Domestic Violence; Prohibits certain acts of domestic & dating violence; revises prohibition on sale/transfer of firearms to persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses; prohibits persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from possessing firearm or ammunition 11/18 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ55

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB728 

 

Companion bill HB311

 Stargel, co-introducer Hutson; filed 11/1 Threats; decreases criminal penalty for threatening to discharge w/ intent to do bodily harm; prohibits threats to use a firearm or weapon with specified intent; provides criminal penalties. 11/21 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Criminal Justice; Appropriations 

1/13 CS by Infrastructure YEA 7 NAY 0

1/14 Introduced – SJ56

1/15 Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) (Committee Substitute)

1/23 CS by Infrastructure & Security read 1st time -SJ186

2/4 CS/CS by Criminal Justice YEA 5 NAY 0-SJ239

2/5 Pending reference review – committee substitute

2/6 CS/CS by Criminal Justice read 1st time-SJ245

2/10 Now in Appropriations

3/3 Favorable by Appropriations YEA 21 NAY 0-SJ411; placed on calendar, on 2nd reading; placed on Special Order Calendar 3/5-SJ461

3/5 Read 2nd time-SJ449; amendments adopted (161760)-SJ449; ordered engrossed-SJ449; placed on 3rd reading

3/6 Read 3rd time-SJ483; CS passed as amended; YEA 39 NAY 0-SJ483

3/6 In messages

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
SB794 

SMART legislation

 Stewart; filed 11/6 Large-capacity Magazines; Prohibits import, distribution, transport, transfer, sale, or gift within state; provides criminal penalties; prohibits possession of large-capacity magazines; provides exceptions. 11/21 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Criminal Justice; Rules 

1/14 Introduced – SJ60

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB1208 

SMART legislation

 Farmer; filed12/11 Prohibits sale or transfer of Assault Weapons & Large-Capacity Magazines 12/18 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Criminal Justice; Rules 

1/14 Introduced-SJ88

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB1248 

SMART legislation

 

Companion HB923

 Torres; filed 12/16 Safe storage of firearms for licensed importers, manufacturers, and dealersunder certain circumstances; provides for inspection. 1/8 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Criminal Justice; Rules 

1/14 Introduced-SJ91

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB1300 

SMART legislation

 Stewart; filed 12/19 Prohibits Assault Weapon import, distribution, etc. Requires certificates of possession for assault weapons lawfully possessed before specified date. 1/8 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Criminal Justice; Rules 

1/14 Introduced-SJ95

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB1524 

 

Companion HB183

 Gainer; filed 1/8 Authorizing elected members of specified governing bodies who are concealed weapon or firearm licensees to carry a concealed weapon or firearm to a meeting of the governing body of which he or she is a member, etc. 1/13 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced-SJ112

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB1540 

SMART legislation

 

Companion HB1243

 Simmons, filed 1/8 Domestic Violence; Requires a court to order a defendant arrested for an act of domestic violence not to possess firearms or ammunition as a condition of bail; requires Dept of Law Enforcement, upon receipt of a request for a criminal history record check, to determine if potential firearm buyer/transferee has been charged with domestic violence or has an outstanding warrant issued for an act of domestic violence and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, etc. 1/13 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Criminal Justice; Rules 

1/14 Introduced-SJ115

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB1566 

SMART legislation

 Braynon; filed 1/8 Concealed Weapons Licensing; Decreasing # years that licenses to carry concealed weapons are valid; specifying that firearm experience  thru military service in US Armed Forces meets requirement of demonstrating firearm competence; requiring that the full set of fingerprints submitted with application be retained; requiring  Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services to bear the licensee’s fingerprint retention fee, etc. 1/13 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/14 Introduced-SJ117

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB1622 

SMART legislation

 Book; filed 1/9 Risk protection orders:  Authorizing law enforcement officer to execute a court order on any day and at any time; authorizing a court to remove the right to purchase, own, sell, or possess firearms or ammunition or to possess a license to carry concealed weapons of a person found to be incapacitated; requiring the Dept of Law Enforcement, in certain cases, to investigate individuals upon whom a firearm disability is imposed and, if the individuals are in possession of firearms or ammunition, to seize the firearms and ammunition, etc. 1/17 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules 

1/22 Introduced -SJ 159

3/14 Died in infrastructure & security
       
SB1802 

SMART legislation

 

Companion bills

HB201, SB652

 Criminal Justice, Pizzo 

Filed 1/10

 Public Meetings/Urban Core Gun Violence Task Force; Providing an exemption from public meetings requirements for portions of the Urban Core Gun Violence Task Force meetings at which exempt or confidential and exempt information is discussed 1/17 Referred to Criminal Justice, Govt Oversight & Accountability; Rules 

1/22 Introduced-SJ175

1/28 CS by Criminal Justice YEA 4 NAY 0 –SJ229

1/30 Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) committee substitute

2/4 CS by Criminal Justice read 1st time – SJ235

2/10 CS/CS by Govt Oversight & Accountability YEA 5 NAY 0 – SJ269

2/11 Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) (committee substitute)

2/12 Now in Rules; CS/CS by Govt Oversight read 1st time- SJ277

3/2 Favorable by Rules YEA 17 NAY 0-SJ411

3/3 Placed on calendar, on 2nd reading

3/9 Placed on Special Order Calendar, 3/11

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
SB1846 

SMART legislation

 

Companion HB6049

 Powell; filed 1/13 Use of Deadly Force in Defense of a Person; Repealing STAND YOUR GROUND a provision relating to home protection and the use or threatened use of deadly force, which creates a presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm in certain circumstances and provides that a person has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force in certain circumstances, etc 1/17 Referred to Criminal Justice; Judiciary; Rules 

1/22 Introduced -SJ 179

3/14 Died in Criminal Justice
       
SB7028 

SMART legislation

 

Related to SB7030

 Infrastructure & Security; filed 1/14 Public Safety: works to close Gun Show Loophole; improve Safe Storage of Loaded Firearms; develops 

Statewide Strategy for Targeted Violence Prevention

 1/6 Submitted for consideration by Infrastructure & Security; on committee agenda 

1/13 Submitted as committee bill; reported favorably YEA 7 / NAY 0

1/14 filed

1/17 Referred to Judiciary; Appropriations

1/22 Introduced -SJ 184

3/14 Died in Judiciary
       
SB7030 

Related to SB7028

 Infrastructure (& Security; filed 1/22 Public Safety: requires emergency personnel to disclose certain confidential communications to law enforcement to communicate a threat; authorizes a person not licensed or who chooses not to use a licensed dealer to facilitate private sale of his or her firearm to sell firearm if specified requirements are met 1/22 Introduced – SJ 184 

3/14 Died in Governmental Oversight and Accountability

 

HOUSE

Bill #/ Position Sponsor(s) Description Status
HB47
SMART legislation		 Stark & Fernandez; Good; Polsky filed 8/12/19 Risk protection orders: redefines term “petitioner” to include person who has biological or legal parent-child relationship, legal guardian of or who’s a spouse or sibling of respondent 9/23 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee, Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary 

1/14 Introduced-HJ11

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB117 

SMART legislation

 Jacquet; filed 9/5/19 Concealed firearm licensing; requires applicant to have undergone mental health evaluation & determined to be competent or provide letter from specified profession as to competency. 9/23 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ15

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB183 

 

Companion bill SB1524

 Ponder, co-introducers Donalds, Stone; filed 9/17/19 Prohibited places for weapons and firearms; authorizes elected member of specified governing body who holds license to carry concealed firearms to meeting of governing body of which he or she is member. 9/25 Referred to Criminal Justice SC; Local, Fed & Vet Affairs SC; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ20

1/28 CS by Criminal Justice SC YEA 11 NAY 3-HJ471

1/29 Pending review of CS under Rule 7.18(c)

1/30 Now in Local, Fed & Vet Affairs SC; CS by Criminal Justice SC read 1st time-HJ467

2/3 Favorable by Local, Fed & Vet YEA 10 NAY 1-HJ486

2/6 Favorable by Judiciary Committee YEA 11 NAY 4

2/7 Placed on Calendar

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB201 

SMART legislation

 

Companion Bills SB652, SB1802

 Criminal Justice SC ; Jones ; Antone ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Brown ; Cortes ; Eskamani ; Fernandez ; Joseph ; Polo ; Smith, C. Gun Violence Reduction; Creates Urban Core Gun Violence Task Force; provides for membership, staff support, duties & powers, annual reports, & repeal of task force; creates Florida Firearm Violence Reduction Pilot Program; authorizes FDLE to provide grants to specified number of counties to implement pilot program. 9/19 filed 

9/25 Referred to Criminal Justice SC; Justice Appropriation SC; Judiciary Committee -HJ 22

1/14 Introduced-HJ22

2/3 CS by Criminal Justice SC; YEA 14 NAY 0 -HJ 50

2/5 Pending review of CS under Rule 7.18(c); CS by Criminal Justice SC read 1st time –HJ496

2/6 Now in Justice Appropriations SC

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB245 

SMART legislation

 

Companion bill SB398

 

 

 Polo & Hill (co-introducers); Fernandez; Good; Polsky; filed 9/30 Concealed weapons and firearms; prohibits concealed weapon or firearm licensee from openly carrying handgun or carrying concealed weapon or firearm into any child care facility. 10/10 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Children, Families and Seniors Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ24

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB273 Sabatini & Hill (co-introducers); McClain; filed 10/1 Carrying of firearms; removes requirement that license to carry concealed firearm is required in order to carry such firearm; limits areas in which concealed carrying of firearm is prohibited; revises criminal penalties; revises provisions relating to carrying of concealed weapons by nonresidents; provides for issuance of concealed carry licenses for reciprocity purposes; specifies that person not otherwise prohibited by law may own, possess, & lawfully use firearms & ammunition for lawful purposes. 10/14 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ26

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB289 

SMART legislation

 

Companion

SB460

 

 Daley & DuBose (co-introducers); Eskamani; Fernandez; Geller; Gottlieb; Jacobs; Jones; Polo; Polsky; Smith,C; filed 10/4 Sales of ammunition; requires background checks for sale or transfer of ammunition. 

 

 

 

 10/16 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary 

1/14 Introduced-HJ27

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB291 Daley; filed 10/4 Public records/sales of ammunition; provides exemption from public records requirements for records containing certain information pertaining to buyer or transferee who is not found to be prohibited from receipt or transfer of ammunition; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemption 10/16 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Oversight, Transparency and Public Management Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ28

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB311 

Companion SB728

 Criminal Justice SC; Massullo; filed 10/8 Threats; amends existing legislation which prohibits threats to use firearm or weapon with specified intent. 10/16 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ29

2/3 CS by Criminal Justice SC YEA 14 NAY 0 – HJ504

2/5 Pending review of CS under Rule 7.18(c); CS by Criminal Justice SC read 1st time-HJ496

2/11 Favorable by Justice Appropriation SC YEA 11 NAY 1; Now in Judiciary HJ549

2/26 CS/CS by Judiciary YEA 16 NAY 1-HJ677

2/27 Pending review of CS-under Rule 7.18(c); CS/CS by Judiciary read 1st time-HJ669

2/28 Placed on Calendar –HJ681

3/3 Placed on Special Order Calendar, 3/6

3/6 Temporarily postponed, on 2ndreading-HJ891

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB353 

WITHDRAWN
SMART legislation

 

 Bell; filed 10/15 Weapons and firearms; provides that petition for involuntary examination serves as petition for risk protection order in certain circumstances and provides for confiscation of firearms & ammunition; requires minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for person convicted of felony while owning or having in his or her possession or control firearm, ammunition, or electronic weapon or device. 10/23 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/9 Withdrawn from committees;

Withdrawn prior to introduction-HJ32
       
HB451 

SMART legislation

 Good (co-introducer Polo); filed 10/24 Weapons & Firearms; Requires all sales/transfers be conducted through a licensed firearm dealer & persons involved in the sale or transfer subject to background checks. 10/30 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ38

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB499 

SMART legislation

 Eskamani (co-introducers Casello; Cortes; Daley; Hogan Johnson; Polo; Smith, C.; filed 10/31 Domestic Violence; Revises prohibition on sale/transfer of firearms to persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence; prohibits persons convicted of misdemeanor offense from possessing firearm/ammo; requires persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to surrender all firearms/ammo; provides requirements for law enforcement carrying out court order & taking possession of firearms & ammo; requires law enforcement to develop policies & procedures; authorizes defendant to transfer all firearms/ammo to another person. 11/15 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ42

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB627 

SMART legislation

 Smith, C; filed 10/1 Assault Weapons/ Large-Capacity Magazines; Prohibits sale, transfers, possession; provides exceptions; requires certificates of possession if lawfully possessed before specified date; provides conditions for continued possession; requires certificates of transfer; provides for relinquishment; provides requirements for transportation; provides enhanced criminal penalties for certain offenses when committed with assault weapon or large-capacity magazine. 11/25 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ51

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB629 

Linked to HB627

 Smith, C; filed 11/13 Pub. Rec./Personal Identifying Information of Assault Weapon or Large-Capacity Magazine Possession Certificate holder; Provides exemption from public records requirements; provides for access to exempt information for specified purposes. 11/25 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Oversight, Transparency and Public Management Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ51
       
HB631 

SMART legislation

 

Companion S266

 Polsky; filed 11/13 Sale, Transfer, Storage of Firearms; Revises requirements for storage; provides criminal penalties if minor accesses stored firearm & uses it in specified ways; revises definition of “minor”; requires seller or transferor of firearm to provide specified information; provides immunity for certain providers of information; revises standard for adults & minors to be criminally negligent. 11/25 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Business and Professions Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ52

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB809 

SMART legislation

 Fernandez & Smith,C ; filed 11/26 Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons or Firearms; Reduces term/fee of license to carry; requires retention of fingerprints in specified state system; requires proof of completion of firearms training or safety course or class meeting specified requirements to renew license. 12/16 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ69

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB885 

SMART legislation

 Polo, Fernandez, & Smith,C; filed 12/9 State Preemption of Firearm and Ammunition Regulation; Specifies that local government entity is not preempted from regulating sale of firearms or ammunition on property owned by that entity 12/12 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ75

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB923 

SMART legislation

 

Companion SB1248

 Goff-Marcil & Mercado; filed 12/11 Safe Storage of Firearms;Provides firearm storage requirements for licensed importers, manufacturers, & dealers; authorizes inspections. 12/12 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Business and Professions Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ79
       
HB1243 

SMART legislation

 

Companion SB1540

 Brown & Smith,C; filed 1/9 Domestic Violence; Requires court to order defendant arrested for act of domestic violence not to possess firearms or ammunition as condition of bail; prohibits individual with outstanding warrant for domestic violence from possessing firearm or ammunition; authorizes court to issue arrest warrant for act of domestic violence. 1/14 Introduced-HJ111 

1/17 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB1437 Williamson, Trumbull; filed 1/14 

Co introducers added Andrade; Donalds; Drake; Hill; Roach; Sabatini; Stone; Yarborough

 Safety of Religious Institutions; Authorizes church, synagogue, or other religious institution to allow concealed weapon licensee to carry firearm on its property 1/14 Introduced-HJ128 

1/17 Referred to Criminal Justice SC; Education Committee; Judiciary Committee

1/28 CS by Criminal Justice SC YEA 12 NAY 2- HJ472

1/29 Pending review of CS under rule 7.18(c)

1/30 CS by Criminal Justice SC read 1st time –HJ469

2/6 Favorable by Education Committee YEA 15 NAY 1;

Now in Judiciary

2/26 Favorable by Judiciary YEA 12 NAY 5; placed on calendar-HJ677

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB6001 Sabatini & Hill; McClain; filed 8/8/19 Campus carry/licenses to carry concealed firearms; removes provision prohibiting concealed carry licensees from openly carrying handgun or carrying concealed firearm into college or university facility. 9/23 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Higher Education and Career Readiness Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ257

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB6003 Hill & Sabatini; McClain; filed 8/9/19 Firearms; removes the following provisions: 1) authorizing seizure of firearms from persons in certain circumstances, 2) prohibition on firearms ownership or possession until removal of firearm possession & firearm ownership disability, 3) prohibition on persons younger than 21 years of age from purchasing firearms, 4) certain exemptions from firearms purchase waiting period, 5) ban on bump-fire stock, & 6) statute authorizing risk protection orders. 9/23 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ258

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
       
HB6009 

SMART legislation

 

Companion Bill: SB134

 Daley& Joseph; (co-introducers Polo, Smith,C, Stark); filed 8/16 Preemption of firearms and ammunition; repeals provisions preempting the field of regulation of firearms & ammunition to Legislature, to exclusion of local jurisdictions. 9/23 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ258

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration

 
       
HB6049 

SMART
legislation

 

Companion SB1846

 Joseph; co-introducer Smith,C; filed 12/5 Repeals 776.013 (Stand Your Ground) Use of Deadly Force in Defense of a Person; Repeals provisions relating to home protection & use of deadly force, which creates presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm in certain circumstances & provides that person has no duty to retreat & has right to stand his or her ground & meet force with force in certain circumstances. 12/12 Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Judiciary Committee 

1/14 Introduced-HJ260

3/14 Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration

Gun Safety Action Guide

Gun violence is a persistent and disturbing public health issue. Its impact is most keenly felt by minority communities but has touched a broad cross-section of our country. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reveal that about 40,000 people are killed by a firearm each year; about 60% of these deaths are suicides and 37% are homicides.  

LWVSPA’s Gun Safety Action Team is currently inactive but between 2017-2020 conducted evidence-based research and developed an education campaign and more than 20 fact sheets to provide you with the facts you need to independently take action on this issue. We continue to support efforts by LWV-FL and the FL Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.  

 

Take Action

  • Become informed… learn more from the fact sheets linked above.
  • VOTE!
  • Contact your state legislators and U.S. congressional representatives.
  1. Review tips on how to advocate and work effectively with your legislators.
  2. Contact your federal and state representatives: visit MyFloridaHouse.gov OR text 507-609-3322 and send your zip code as the message to get contact information.
  3. During the session, click here to follow Florida legislative proposals; change the year to get current information.  Gun violence received little legislative attention in 2020; to see what was proposed and final action (or inaction) see our final summary at 2020 FL proposed gun legislation

Fast Facts

Watch “The State of Gun Violence in the U.S.,” a seven-minute video by Joss Fong, Vox, 21 Feb 2016.