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15615 1 RESOLUTION NO. 15,615 2 3 A RESOLUTION TO ADDRESS THE RECENT COMMUNITY 4 VIOLENCE AS A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER 5 PURPOSES. 6 7 WHEREAS, firearm violence is a Public Health Crisis that affects communities across the United 8 States', poses a serious threat to the health and quality of life of all residents of the City of Little Rock, 9 Arkansas("the City");and, 10 WHEREAS, firearm violence has been declared a Public Health Crises that demands the collective 11 attention of policymakers, service providers, Community-Based Organizations and residents throughout 12 the City;and, 13 WHEREAS, employing a public health approach can effectively reduce firearm-related violence by 14 systematically studying firearm violence data and its determinants to focus efforts and guide programs, 15 services and policy changes;and, 16 WHEREAS, involvement in evidence-based community violence intervention programs has been 17 shown to reduce homicides by as much as 50%;and, 18 WHEREAS,firearm mortality rates are higher in the South and in metropolitan urban areas;and, 19 WHEREAS,in Arkansas,Central Arkansas has a disproportionate burden of both firearm assault and 20 mortality;and, 21 WHEREAS,the United States reached an all-time high of over 45,000 deaths from firearm wounds in 22 2020, a number that represents a 14%increase from the previous year; and 2021 data on firearm deaths is 23 still in partial and provisional form;and, 24 WHEREAS,firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and teens, with more than 25 1,800 children and teens dying by gun violence every year;and, 26 WHEREAS, among both United States and Arkansas residents ages sixteen (16)—twenty-four(24), 27 homicide is the third leading cause of death;and, 28 WHEREAS, public health scientists recognize the many social factors that influence gun violence, 29 especially among high-risk minority communities that are challenged with low income and education,high 30 levels of unemployment, discrimination and racism, persistent trauma, hostile street cultures, and limited 31 health and social resources. This greatly contributes to the cycle of community violence and influx of 32 violent assault injuries in hospitals;and, 33 WHEREAS, community violence and firearm-related crime is a significant problem that affects all 34 ages,and has many physical,mental,social,and socio-emotional consequences;and, 35 WHEREAS, the American Public Health Association has declared that firearm violence is a public 36 health crisis,and it is a leading cause of premature death; and, (Page 1 of 31 1 WHEREAS, the issue of firearm violence is rooted in racial and health inequities and injustices 2 experienced for generations by people of color;and, 3 WHEREAS, firearm violence affects people of all ages and races in the United States, but has a 4 disproportionate impact on Black males;and, 5 WHEREAS,Black Americans represent the majority of gun homicide victims with Black Americans 6 ten(10)times more likely than White Americans to die by gun homicide;and, 7 WHEREAS, 72% of homicide victims in 2021 were Black males and 100%of the homicide victims 8 in 2022 have been Black males;and, 9 WHEREAS,61%of homicide victims in 2021 were under the age of thirty(30)and 100%of homicide 10 victims so far in 2022 have been under the age of thirty(30);and, 11 WHEREAS,homicides are commonly linked with firearm-related violence;and, 12 WHEREAS,the City of Little Rock had fifty-three(53)homicides involving a firearm in 2021 and all 13 six(6)homicides have involved a firearm so far in 2022;and, 14 WHEREAS,there were ten(10) victims of firearm-related violence in a forty-eight(48)-hour period 15 between January 28, 2022, and January 30, 2022, ranging from the age one (1)-year to twenty-four(24) 16 years old;and, 17 WHEREAS, hospitals and other community health institutions are near capacity because of the 18 ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic;and, 19 WHEREAS,this action is being taken to protect the public health,safety, and welfare of Little Rock 20 residents;and, 21 NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY 22 OF LITTLE ROCK,ARKANSAS: 23 Section 1. The City of Little Rock, Arkansas declares the recent community violence and firearm- 24 related crime a public health emergency within the jurisdiction of the City. 25 Section 2.The City will employ a holistic approach to addressing violence through law enforcement 26 and community programming. 27 Section 3. The Office of Neighborhood Safety within the Community Programs Department shall 28 establish an Emergency Response Team to coordinate services between the Little Rock Police Department 29 and other City Departments. 30 Section 4. The Office of Neighborhood Safety shall establish partnerships with grassroots and 31 Community Outreach Programs to combat gun violence and provide the necessary resources. 32 Section 5. The City shall remove temporarily remove budgetary limits related to overtime efforts by 33 Little Rock Police Department for a period of thirty(30)days. 34 Section 6. The City Procurement Division shall identify opportunities to expedite funding to address 35 community violence effectively and efficiently, so that grants and other resources are quickly deployed to 36 awarded organizations. [Page 2of3] 1 Section 7. The City Human Resources Department shall expedite hiring of social workers and other 2 employees to address community violence. 3 Section 8. The Board of Directors will identify opportunities for mutual aid with Federal and State 4 partners to remove violent criminals and illegal weapons from the streets of Little Rock. 5 Section 9. The Little Rock Police Department shall increase strategic and targeted patrol in the most 6 violent areas to promote neighborhood safety. 7 Section 10. The City shall enforce its loitering ordinance to prohibit loitering throughout the City of 8 Little Rock. This loitering prohibition shall be enforced against the businesses allowing the gathering 9 outside their place of business. 10 Section 11. Severability. In the event any title, section, paragraph, item, sentence, clause, phrase, or 11 word of this resolution is declared or adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration or 12 adjudication shall not affect the remaining portions of the resolution which shall remain in full force and 13 effect as if the portion so declared or adjudged invalid or unconstitutional were not originally a part of the 14 resolution. 15 Section 12. Repealer. All laws,ordinances,resolutions,or parts of the same,that are inconsistent with 16 the provisions of this resolution,are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency. 17 ADOPTED: February 1,2022 18 V' APPROVED 19 20— `�� .Loll 21 Sus• _l•y, ity Clerk Frank Scott,Jr., Ma r 22 APPR11 • 1 • TO LEGAL FORM: 23 24 25 Thomas M. Carpenter, it Attorne 26 // 27 // 28 // 29 // 30 // 31 // 32 // 33 // 34 // 35 // 36 // 37 // [Page 3 of 3]