Wilmington community leaders react to NCDHHS gun violence and misuse report

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) —Leaders of community organizations in Wilmington are speaking out, one day after the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a report identifying gun violence as a public health issue.

According to NC Department of Health and Human Services report, addressing public health strategies to increase community and family safety from firearm violence and misuse, five people in North Carolina die every day from a gun-related event.

The report identified a plan, which includes defining and monitoring the problem, identifying protective and risk factors, and developing and testing prevention strategies for communities.

“Getting hyper local to understanding where folks are coming from, and then targeting interventions around that. So, when we know certain zip codes across the state are where we’ve seen more violence happening where individuals are ending up in the ER, you know, that’s a public health problem,–right. It’s a burden on those communities, it’s a burden on our health system,” said Kody Kinsley, Secretary of NC Department of Health and Human Services.

The report also laid out actions to reduce firearm injury and death.

“It’s a great thing, I think it’s really important to acknowledge the principal strategies of prevention to be something that we identify as a way to addressing violence in our community. So, public health is about prevention, and it’s about a population level health as it relates to prevention right, so not just for individuals, not just a small group, but the whole community the whole population, and I think that traditional we think about violence, -it’s usually entities that’s not most skilled in the art of prevention,” said Abdul Hafeedh Bin Abdullah, Sokoto House executive director.

Port City United,  a New Hanover County department with a goal of identifying and prevent violence in the community provided WWAY with a statement in response to NCDHHS:

“Port City United models its work on the Cure Violence Global method, which highlights violence as a public health issue. The model implements public health strategies intended to reduce firearm violence. It requires proven data to identify trends, and evidence-informed approaches to fight gun violence. Port City United is proud to utilize this model and grateful for the connections our team has built within the community since the department launched earlier this year. We look forward to serving the citizens of New Hanover County for years to come and helping reduce violence throughout our county.”

Some community leaders working to reduce gun violence locally are pleased with the report, but are concerned about how the plan will be implemented.

“We’ve been addressing that for many years, here in the city. We are the ones that are on the ground with the families prior to the violence, and at the point of gun violence, after the fact. So, it’s a good thing, but what I want to know is what it looks like in this city. When it comes to implementing the strategies. Will they be coming to community members, community health workers,” said Brenda Galloway, Helping Others Proceed Effectively (HOPE) director.

The report recommends expanding firearm safe storage initiatives, the use of community-based programs, and violence intervention programs in hospitals.