Gun violence prevention advocates across the nation struggle to understand the increased gun violence that we are experiencing and what to do about it.  Media reports assure us that what we see locally is not unique to Indiana, as cities nationwide share contributors to violence. Long familiar issues compounded by COVID-19 get most of the blame: people out of work, social isolation, tension and anger in the home, killings associated with drug deals, resentment of people who are easy to target – all exacerbated by nationwide record sales in firearms (See “How Many Guns Did Americans Buy Last Month?” in News Links below). 

Those very real contributors demand community-based, root-cause solutions. One promising discussion in Indianapolis is how to expand the scope and capacity of an existing violence interrupter initiative. Alongside root-cause realities, Hoosiers Concerned wants the public to recognize companion realities: Guns are too easy to acquire by purchase or theft, too at-hand to settle disputes or lead to accidental shootings, too much relied on for personal protection. Given that, we are dismayed that year after year, members of the Indiana General Assembly put forward policies that would put us all at greater risk. Those measures are even more troubling at a time like the present when unrelenting violence should make it evident that more guns on the streets, in public places, in our schools and homes take us in exactly the wrong direction.

Three bills were filed this year that would move us in the right direction. At the time of this writing, their fates are not determined. HB1006 (updated below) would require the Indiana law enforcement training board to establish mandatory training in de-escalation as part of the use-of-force curriculum. SB173 would prohibit bringing firearms to or near polling places. Senator Qaddoura’s SB285, would require secure storage for firearms in the home. Practices like safe storage that make it harder to go grab a gun won’t by themselves reverse the trend of rampant gun violence, but they are practical means to save lives, complement other violence prevention strategies and deserve Hoosiers’ support. 

In the meantime, again, we’re speaking out against bills that enable violence. Among ill-conceived bills introduced this year are: HB1027, the latest in a series of bills filed every year to provide handgun training for teachers; HB1034, HB1232 and HB1369, each of which would repeal the requirement that a person must obtain a license to carry a firearm; HB1295 that would eliminate gun free zones, and SB302 which would permit state employees and officers to carry handguns at the Indiana Government Center. Those initiatives come from a narrow, reactionary viewpoint and do not reflect the sound judgment of most Hoosiers who favor reasonable regulations.