THE PROBLEM
The Problem
In 2017, there were 55 homicides (43 firearm related) and 169 non-fatal shootings in Stockton; from 2014 through 2017, Stockton averaged 154 non-fatal shootings, 51 homicides, and 39 gun homicides per year. The gun homicide rate (about 13/100K) puts Stockton in top 20 nationally. Gun homicide rates in Stockton have been more than twice the California State average for the last 20 years. ¹
Frequently, both public and community-based systems of care fall short in their efforts to provide responsive opportunities and resources to those most involved with and affected by urban gun violence. Because those who are suspected of gun crimes in urban communities have often already been failed by the available systems of care, those who need the services most are least likely to trust the systems that provide them. ²
The Cost
Approximate average cost to tax payers for a single gun homicide in Stockton. ³
The number of gun homicides in Stockton in 2017. ⁴
More than half of the gun homicide victims in Stockton are young men of color under 30 years old. ⁵
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Nelson Mandela