1. United States
2. R.I.
3. Letter

Hi, I'm writing as a constituent to ask you to address the supply-side of gun violence.  More than 100 people are killed by gun violence every day in the United States, and even more people are wounded. As you may know, gun violence disproportionately impacts Black and Brown Americans and half of all homicides occur in just 127 cities and towns. But guns don’t just appear in these communities. Everyday gun violence in communities across the US is fueled by irresponsible and unlawful gun sales. While local and national programs work to intervene and prevent violence through direct services, these efforts aim to decrease the demand for guns. We also must address the supply of illegal guns.  A supply-side approach includes strategies that curtail the irresponsible behavior of gun dealers,  not just ‘the shooter’. Implementing a behavior change approach that holds dealers accountable, coupled with existing intervention and prevention efforts, local communities could experience a reduction in homicide and shooting rates in even the most impacted neighborhoods. As your constituent, I am asking that you please take action to combat the diversion of guns into the hands of those who should not have them. This does not require complex policy change, and can be done in ways like expanding existing regulations and incentivizing better industry practices.  The Brady Center has put together several proven strategies to restrict the flow of crime guns into our community: https://www.bradyunited.org/reports/combating-crime-guns-a-supply-side-approach Please, take the time to review these strategies that can pair successfully with existing prevention efforts. Thank you for your consideration.