Denver's Tactic to Reduce Gun Violence: Solving More Nonfatal Shootings

[wew3]

One City’s Surprising Tactic to Reduce Gun Violence: Solving More Nonfatal Shootings
A Denver police unit started investigating all shootings like homicides. Now other cities are taking notice.

By TED ALCORN

When Denver police sped to the scene of a shooting on June 27, 2022, they found a victim lucky to be alive — and a case that could just as easily have been a homicide.

A man and woman had attempted to steal an unoccupied car that was idling at a gas station. When the owner chased them on foot, one of the assailants shot him in the face. Somehow, the bullet deflected off his mouth. He lost some teeth, but he didn’t lose his life.

The difference between life and death was a matter of inches or less, and in most big U.S. cities that arbitrary outcome might also have determined whether the shooter faced justice. That’s because major police departments devote far fewer resources to solving nonfatal shootings than they do fatal ones.

Police generally clear about half of homicides by arresting a suspect (or in extraordinary circumstances, by determining they cannot — for example, if the suspect has died). But when the victim survives, departments in some cities make an arrest in fewer than 1 in 10 shootings, according to data gathered by The Marshall Project.

But not in Denver, as the car thieves would learn. In the past few years, the Mile High City has set out to end the disparity between how police treat homicides and near-homicides. And other cities are taking notice.

In 2020, responding to an uptick in gun violence, the city’s police department adopted the uncontroversial but unusual approach of seriously trying to solve every nonfatal shooting. Officials created a new unit, the Firearm Assault Shoot Team, or FAST, devoted solely to the task.

Over the last three years, FAST has cleared hundreds of shootings, arresting suspects or issuing warrants for their capture at nearly triple the department’s previous rate for these violent crimes. The effort has shown that when detectives have the time, resources and commitment, they can resolve most shootings.

And it raises uncomfortable questions about why police departments across the rest of the country do not.

“The only difference between a nonfatal shooting and a homicide is luck,” said Paul Pazen, the former Denver police chief who launched FAST in 2020. “Policing shouldn’t come down to luck.”

Story continues at https://www.themarshallproject.org/2...m_source=email

[JenniferG]

Criminals are not being prosecuted is the number one cause for so much crime.

[staylo]

Criminals are not being prosecuted is the number one cause for so much crime.

Absolutely.

[Walleye Hunter]

Criminals are not being prosecuted is the number one cause for so much crime.

There outta be a law!

[Capt]

yup the answer is more laws Don't worry about the old laws they weren't using them anyway

[Carson]

Criminals are not being prosecuted is the number one cause for so much crime.

True. But to prosecute someone, the shooting (or other crime) has to be successfully investigated and a suspect charged. Denver may be on to something. By dealing with non fatal shootings, just as aggressively as fatal shootings, it may prevent the non fatal incident from eventually become a fatal one.

Philly has done something similar. About a year ago they organized a centralized Shooting Investigation Group, comprised of detectives formally assigned to divisional detective, who investigated all types of crimes in addition to shootings.

I am not sure of the number of non fatal shootings, but the homicide number is down bout 80% from last year.


Correction. Should read down 20%. Down 89 homicides year to date from 2022 to 2023.

[Carson]

yup the answer is more laws Don't worry about the old laws they weren't using them anyway

Are you referring to Walleyes sarcastic reply, or the anti gun folks ranting for more laws, because no where in the story did they introduce more laws.

[Walleye Hunter]

True. But to prosecute someone, the shooting (or other crime) has to be successfully investigated and a suspect charged. Denver may be on to something. By dealing with non fatal shootings, just as aggressively as fatal shootings, it may prevent the non fatal incident from eventually become a fatal one.

Philly has done something similar. About a year ago they organized a centralized Shooting Investigation Group, comprised of detectives formally assigned to divisional detective, who investigated all types of crimes in addition to shootings.

I am not sure of the number of non fatal shootings, but the homicide number is down bout 80% from last year.

Research shows that it's down to 80% of last year or down 20%. It is disappointing.

[Capt]

Both all you hear is we need another law. Be it gun control or other issues they think they'll solve by making another law. Sarcasm mostly I've mentioned before there's enough laws enforce the ones you have at your disposal. The fact that by working to solve crime issues is great but why get an atta boy for something that should have been done all along. Then even if they solve it somebody would have to prosecute it

[JenniferG]

True. But to prosecute someone, the shooting (or other crime) has to be successfully investigated and a suspect charged. Denver may be on to something. By dealing with non fatal shootings, just as aggressively as fatal shootings, it may prevent the non fatal incident from eventually become a fatal one.

Philly has done something similar. About a year ago they organized a centralized Shooting Investigation Group, comprised of detectives formally assigned to divisional detective, who investigated all types of crimes in addition to shootings.

I am not sure of the number of non fatal shootings, but the homicide number is down bout 80% from last year.

Does that mean the body count won't reach 600 and I won't win a box of ammo?