Developed in partnership
The Resource Bank was developed in partnership with the Colorado Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) and the Injury and Violence Prevention Center at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus.
It features resources and materials to support firearm injury and violence prevention, including an external resource library and a data dashboard.
The resource bank is organized into multiple sections, each focusing on a specific topic related to firearm injury prevention. It will grow over time with future sections on a variety of topics related to firearms in Colorado. The library of external resources strives to provide information rooted in evidence. Each item underwent a rigorous evaluation and approval process prior to publication.
For more details on how the external resources were reviewed, please visit the External resources web page.
The data dashboard presents data in a user-friendly interface. Data include morbidity and mortality rates of firearm deaths, CBI (Colorado Bureau of Investigation) background checks, and Extreme Risk Protection Order use in Colorado. The data dashboard is intended to be a tool for the public, researchers, lawmakers, and others to see what is happening in their communities regarding firearm-related outcomes.
Guiding Principles
The Resource Bank uses a public health approach to address firearm injury in Colorado. This approach is grounded in the following guiding principles:
Respect for all Coloradans
Respect the variety of experiences, values, and views of Coloradans surrounding firearms when working together to prevent injury and death.
Understanding the Problem
Understand the impact of firearm injury across all Colorado communities by gathering and analyzing relevant data, sharing knowledge, and actively seeking the perspectives and insights of those directly impacted by the issue.
Collaboration
Engage individuals and organizations from diverse backgrounds, professional fields, and locations to address firearm injuries. By collaborating and sharing their experiences and expertise, these groups can bring unique perspectives to a complex issue and work towards a comprehensive solution. This collaborative effort can result in considerable progress toward reducing firearm injuries across all regions and demographics in Colorado.
Identifying What Works
Adopt and integrate solutions supported by evidence to best prevent all types of firearm harms.
Transparency
Provide unbiased information rooted in research to build trust with diverse partners.
Equity
Use an approach that recognizes the disproportionate impact of firearm injury across Colorado and works to identify and address underlying risk factors and systemic inequities contributing to firearm injury.
People of all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities, and political affiliations own firearms and are impacted by firearm injuries and deaths in Colorado.
While all types of firearm injury and death are of concern for Coloradans, certain populations are disproportionately impacted.
For example, most firearm deaths in Colorado are due to suicide, and American Indian, Alaska Native, and white men are at the highest risk. However, certain urban areas have the highest rates of firearm homicide, and young Black males are at the highest risk.
The Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) acknowledges the long-standing structural and systemic inequities that continue contributing to the disproportionate impact of firearm injury and death on Colorado communities.
As such, the OGVP acknowledges that addressing firearm injury in Colorado will require various prevention approaches, including identifying, confronting, and repairing injustices within and across systems such as housing, education, criminal justice, transportation, and health care. Further, emerging and ongoing efforts must actively seek to avoid worsening existing inequities by conducting community-driven interventions and using an equity-based framework.
There is an urgent need for transformative and sustainable action from all stakeholders. Data-driven, community-informed, and multi-level prevention is key to ensuring a public health approach to reducing firearm injury and death for all Coloradans.
Resource bank commitment to equity
This resource bank was developed and continues to be updated, with equity as a guiding principle.
The resource bank seeks to:
- Create a central, neutral, evidence-based environment for information and action related to firearm harm in Colorado and the United States.
- Provide a diversity of perspectives from and for firearm owners and non-owners.
- Encourage consideration of the relationship between firearm harms and present, post, and future systemic injustices.
- Highlight methods of prevention and action for all stakeholders.
- State of Colorado Accessibility Statement. (webpage)
- Accessibility Statement and Support. (webpage)
For more information email ogvp@state.co.us.