Implementing Checklists to Improve Police Responses to Co-Victims of Gun Violence

Abstract

Over 12,000 people die of gun homicides in the United States annually, leaving behind loved ones (“co-victims”) burdened by psychological trauma and economic loss. The state has tasked police as the primary responders to gun violence, but police often exacerbate trauma in every interaction with co-victims, from investigative follow-ups to failing to connect them to trauma counseling.2 Police are intimately involved with gun violence survivors and the families of the deceased for months or even years after the incident. At each juncture, police represent the state in deeply sensitive and delicate interactions that have dramatic implications for the ripple effects of gun violence.

We build on the checklist model that has improved public safety outcomes in other complex, high-intensity professional contexts to propose a checklist for police detectives to follow in the aftermath of gun violence. Although checklists would likely improve police responses to co-victims of non-gun violence, we focus on gun violence because it constitutes a disproportionately harmful share of illegal serious injuries and deaths. To build the checklist, we reviewed the general orders of five police departments to better understand what guidance, if any, is currently given to police personnel regarding how they should interact with gun violence victims. We also interviewed fourteen co-victims in three of these cities who have lost at least one family member to gun violence, for critical perspectives on police responses to the victimization of their loved ones.