BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The City of Gainesville is giving credit to its gun violence prevention programs for a significant reduction in homicides over the past six months, but State Attorney Brian Kramer and Sheriff Emery Gainey, while supporting these efforts, say the main reason for the decrease lies in arresting violent offenders, holding them without bail, and prosecuting them.
A recent press release from the City of Gainesville highlighted the fact that there have been no gun-related homicides reported in the city since May; Alachua County Sheriff Emery Gainey told Alachua Chronicle that no gun-related homicides have been incorporated in his agency’s service area since March.
As good as the news is on homicides, 25 people were shot in Gainesville between April and November, including a 17-year-old Buchholz student who was permanently paralyzed after being shot in October.
The City credits their wide array of gun violence prevention policies. “The City of Gainesville is always working with our community partners and challenging every department to think outside the box and substantially lower the violent crime rate,” said Mayor Harvey L. Ward. “We’ve taken a kitchen sink approach to saving lives in this community, and it’s gratifying to share that all of the steps we’ve taken along the way are having an impact. It’s a long road and many steps remain, but we are developing the solutions needed to create positive change as we work collaboratively with our partners across the county.”