Gun violence is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States.
According to the gunviolencearchive.org website:
In 2023, there were over 5,000 deaths related to firearms, not including 6,732 suicides. In the first 100 days of the year, there have been 147 mass shooting incidents (four or more persons killed or injured) and 14 mass murders.
In 2023, 238 children under the age of 12 have been killed or injured by a firearm, while 1,400 12-17 year-olds have died or suffered injuries due to gun violence.
It seems almost every community struggles with gun violence, and Orange County is not immune, with ten deaths reported in 2023. But a task force started by Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has given its residents a chance to participate in fighting gun violence.
Demings announced an updated 2023 Community Crime Survey on Tuesday as part of the Citizens Safety Task Force Initiative. The first crime survey took place in 2021. This updated survey is designed to hear once again from residents about ways to combat gun violence and violent crime in 2023. The results will help guide the task force as it looks to develop more solutions to meet the growing public safety needs of the community.
The 2023 survey can be found at www.ocfl.net/SafetyTaskForce and is offered in English, Spanish, and Creole.
As a result of the 2021 survey, Orange County Government awarded more than $14.3 million to local nonprofit agencies this fiscal year to provide critically needed services to residents. For a list of the agencies, visit the “Programs and Services” section of the Citizens Safety Task Force page.
Data from the first Community Crime Survey in 2021 included data on how Orange County residents felt about gun violence. One thousand forty-four participants indicated they wanted to increase prevention, and 1,203 wanted to expand mentoring to prevent crime and reduce gun violence in the community. Results from the 2021 Community Crime Survey are available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/stories/SM-GPDTS732/.
The next scheduled meeting of the Citizens Safety Task Force will take place on April 18th, at 10:00 a.m. The location is the Barnett Park Recreation Center Orlando Magic Gymnasium.
The Citizens Safety Task Force is comprised of members representing diverse backgrounds to help identify solutions to longstanding community problems. The participants include young adults, youth mentors, faith-based leaders, behavioral health professionals, community advocates, law enforcement officers, education and prevention professionals, and service-based organizations.
About Orange County Government: Orange County Government strives to serve its residents and guests with integrity, honesty, fairness, and professionalism. Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes 13 municipalities and is home to world-famous theme parks, one of the nation’s largest convention centers, and a thriving life science research park. Seven elected members make up the Board of County Commissioners, including the Mayor, who is elected countywide. For more information, please visit www.OCFL.net.
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