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Underground Gun Markets and the Flow of Illegal Guns into the Bronx and Brooklyn: A Mixed Methods Analysis

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Abstract

New York City (NYC) has experienced large reductions in violent crime over the last two decades, but gun-related violence continues to pose a threat to public safety. Despite strong gun laws, high-risk individuals in NYC neighborhoods are unfortunately still able to access and misuse firearms. This research analyzes NYC’s underground gun market by closely examining the flow of guns into the two boroughs where gun violence and crime gun recoveries are most prevalent: the Bronx and Brooklyn. A mixed methods approach is utilized that consists of an assessment of firearms trace data and in-depth interviews with individuals considered to be at high risk for involvement in gun violence. Findings suggest that guns recovered in the Bronx and Brooklyn were significantly more likely to originate in states with less restrictive gun laws and more likely to have changed ownership in unregulated transactions relative to guns recovered elsewhere in NYC. Interviews revealed three primary avenues for illegal guns reaching Bronx and Brooklyn neighborhoods: high-volume gun brokers, middlemen, and individuals who make episodic low-level acquisitions from straw purchasers in other states. No subjects identified theft as a meaningful source of crime guns.

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Notes

  1. Shootings represent gun murders and non-fatal gun assault victimizations. Calculations based on data provided to the authors by the NYPD for this project.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (PIN: 00216N0001). The findings of this research represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official positions of the City of New York, New York City Police Department (NYPD), or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives, and Firearms. We would like to thank former Commissioner William Bratton, First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker, Deputy Commissioner Tanya Meisenholder, Elizabeth Glazer, Karina Christiansen, and Eric Cumberbatch for their assistance with the completion of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Anthony A. Braga, Rod K. Brunson, Brandon Turchan & Brian Wade

  2. Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Philip J. Cook

  3. School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA

    Brandon Turchan & Brian Wade

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  1. Anthony A. Braga
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Correspondence to Brian Wade.

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Braga, A.A., Brunson, R.K., Cook, P.J. et al. Underground Gun Markets and the Flow of Illegal Guns into the Bronx and Brooklyn: A Mixed Methods Analysis. J Urban Health 98, 596–608 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-020-00477-z

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