2023 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 151
BY SENATOR DUPLESSIS
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Department of Health's office of
behavioral health, and the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and
Administration of Criminal Justice to collaborate on best practices and model
programs that address gun violence prevention and intervention, and identify
strategies and funding sources to assist in implementing the practices and programs.
WHEREAS, gun violence across Louisiana carries high health care, law
enforcement, and criminal justice costs to Louisiana's taxpayers; according to statistics from
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, gun violence costs Louisiana $14.3 billion each
year, of which $457.6 million is paid by taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, at an average cost of $3,085 per resident each year, Louisiana has the
sixth highest per resident cost of gun violence in the United States; and
WHEREAS, these costs do not account for the toll of the lives stolen, the trauma of
witnessing a shooting, the fear of becoming a victim of such violence, or the long-term
impacts on communities grappling with gun violence; and
WHEREAS, these tragic incidents have disproportionately affected black residents;
across the United States; black residents are five times more likely to die by gun homicide
than their white neighbors; in Louisiana, black residents are ten times more likely to die by
gun homicide than their white neighbors; and
WHEREAS, gun violence prevention and intervention programs have demonstrated
that violence can be dramatically reduced when targeted prevention and intervention
strategies are identified and implemented in the small segment of the population who are at
the highest risk of being involved in gun violence; and
WHEREAS, there is a growing body of evidence that direct funding to resource and
support evidence-informed and community-driven violence intervention programs in the
communities most impacted by gun violence has demonstrated effectiveness in saving
lives; and
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WHEREAS, strategies that have evidenced success include street outreach programs
utilized in Philadelphia and Newark, hospital-based violence intervention programs utilized
by Indianapolis, and cognitive behavioral therapy services utilized in Richmond, California,
as well as public safety round tables utilized around the country to engage the community
in the public safety process and develop solutions; and
WHEREAS, the evidence strongly supports that community-based violence
prevention and intervention programming can comprehensively address the cycle of violence
by addressing the root causes of violence, providing support in moments of crisis, and
offering resources to support the healing of victims and survivors.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby urge and request the Louisiana State Police, the office of behavioral health of
the Louisiana Department of Health, and the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement
and Administration of Criminal Justice to collaborate on best practices and model programs
that address gun violence prevention and intervention and identify strategies and funding
sources to assist in implementing the practices and programs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, the assistant secretary of the office of
behavioral health of the Louisiana Department of Health, and the executive director of the
Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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