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RECAP: How Florida Can Reduce Gun Violence

Staff | Published on 11/18/2024


How Florida Can Reduce Gun Violence

We don't have to wait for the Florida Legislature to pass new laws and at NOV's HT, we discussed ways that we can begin NOW to reduce gun violence — gun lock giveaways, public service campaigns to safely secure guns stored in vehicles, some proposed state laws and successful community programs to keep guns out of the hands of teenagers.  
Panelists included:




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PANEL BIOGRAPHIES
PANEL BIOGRAPHIES

Abraham "Abe" Morris has dedicated his career to enhancing community well-being through human services, focusing on both immediate needs and systemic change. With over a decade of experience, Abe’s commitment to social justice and equity has driven his impactful work in building resilient communities.

Abe earned his undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Human Development from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, graduating summa cum laude. He furthered his education with a Master’s in Public Policy from Loyola University Chicago, where he graduated with honors, equipping him with the skills to address complex societal challenges.

In significant leadership roles across nonprofit and government sectors, Abe served as the Dax Director for Depaul USA, a program focused on serving college students facing homelessness or housing insecurities in the heart of Chicago. Under his leadership, the Dax Program achieved a 100% success rate for participants and gained recognition on CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets. The program has since expanded to multiple cities nationwide.

As a Senior Contract Administrator with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Abe managed a portfolio of state and county contracts, overseeing the rollout of Youth Stabilization Facilities and improving quality in Youth and Adolescent Day Treatment Facilities. He also advanced diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, establishing a permanent DEI office and advisory body.

Currently, Abe serves as the Children, Youth, and Families Division Manager for the City of Orlando, overseeing social impact programs for children and families. His leadership in the Community Violence Intervention model has significantly reduced gun violence and criminal justice involvement, leading to a decrease of shootings across the city by 36%, gunshot wounds by 37%, and homicides by 29%. While the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative has achieved a 20% reduction in suspensions and an 11% reduction in expulsions among middle school students.

Abe’s approach emphasizes "person-centered planning," ensuring that programs are tailored to the unique needs of individuals and families. Beyond program management, he builds coalitions and nurtures relationships with key stakeholders, continuing to champion positive change within the communities he serves.


Ruben Saldaña was nominated this year as a finalist for Central Floridian of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel. He also is leader of Central Florida’s Credible Messenger program and runs Ru Camps and “Gloves Up, Guns Down” boxing and mixed martial arts training. The aim is to steer underserved and disenfranchised youth away from crime and gun violence. A former gang leader who served 19 years in prison, Saldaña says he understands his kids because he has been in their shoes.


Credible Messengers employs adult mentors like Saldaña who use their life experiences to guide and encourage the youth. Orange County was the first city in Florida to implement the Credible Messengers Movement. The program has been linked with decreased youth-crime statistics and reduced juvenile repeat offender rates in several major U.S. cities.


Dr. Shanta Barton-Stubbs is a professional consultant, a licensed therapist, a certified success life coach, a motivational speaker, and the founder of Under Construction Empowerment Services and the Founder & Director of New Image Youth Center in Orlando, FL. Shanta Barton-Stubbs received her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice, a Master’s degree in Mental Health, and in 2015 earned her doctorate in Theology with an emphasis in Leadership Studies. Shanta has authored three books, There Is Good in My Hood, Yes, God, I’m Listening!, and co-authored the international bestseller Discover your Destiny, Live your Dream, Love your Life. Her new book Knocking Out Excuses is soon to be published. All of her writing has been driven by life experience and has that success, as well as her outstanding work in the community has led to many speaking engagements, including over seven commencement addresses, international speaking in the Bahamas, Cat Island, and Canada, and speaking engagements at local churches and community organizations.

In 2004, Shanta founded the New Image Youth Center (NIYC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, in Orlando, FL at the age of 21 with only $1,500 and 8 children. The goal was to provide a safe haven for this poverty-stricken community’s neighborhood. Twelve years later, the success of New Image Youth Center has changed lives with over 18 high school graduates, a Morehouse College graduate, and many young businessmen and businesswomen.


Patricia Brigham a proven national and Florida grassroots leader and coalition builder, joined the League of Women Voters of Florida state board in 2015 and moved up in the leadership ranks to serve as president for three years, 2018-21.

After joining the League of Women Voters of Orange County (LWVOC) in 2013, Patti quickly assumed leadership duties, serving on the membership committee and working with young League members to organize and host “Speak Easy with the League” events.

In 2014 she formed the LWVOC Gun Safety Action team which was later adopted statewide. That same year she was appointed to the LWVOC Board of Directors and served for two years.

In 2016, in the days following the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Patti partnered with former LWVFL President Pam Goodman to form the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, which now includes more than 100 organizational partners.

In 2020, she served in the first year of Mayor Jerry Deming's Orange County Citizens Safety Task Force.

Patti grew up in Orlando and attended the University of Central Florida, where she earned a B.A. in philosophy and an M.A. in Liberal Studies. After several years at We Care, Inc., a suicide prevention and crisis intervention center, Patti forged a career in radio with responsibilities as a reporter, writer, and producer.

During this time, she was recognized with several awards from media organizations, including American Women in Radio and Television and the Associated Press.

She also worked as a freelance reporter for the Orlando Weekly, writing about the arts, and was an adjunct humanities professor at Seminole Community College.


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REVIEW
REVIEW
How Florida Can Reduce Gun Violence 
By Judi Hayes

The Hot Topics lunch and panel discussion focused on what communities can do to
reduce gun violence without changes in state law. Gun lock giveaways, intervention and
preventive programs to discourage gun violence and public service announcements
about safe storage of guns are among the ways that communities can make a
difference.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Tax Collector Scott Randolph kicked off the Hot
Topics by discussing a PSA they made about safe gun storage that will be shown in
license offices and on social media. Every year, about 350 weapons are stolen from
vehicles in Orange County, and that’s just the reported number. The PSA explains that
stolen guns often are used later in criminal violence. Unsecured guns also can lead to
tragic children’s deaths.
Mina talked about recent downtown shootings that left two people dead and reminded
the audience that he opposed recent legislative changes to allow permitless carry of
guns. The new law makes it harder for police to do their jobs and creates greater
opportunity for gun violence, he said.
Randolph mentioned that his office doesn’t issue concealed weapons permits, but from
what his colleagues told him in other counties, the implementation of permitless carry
has led to a 25 percent decline in permits issued. 
Moderator Patti Brigham, a former president of the Florida League of Women Voters,
has an extensive history of gun safety advocacy. Patti joined the League of Women
Voters of Orange County in 2013, served on the board of directors, and formed the local
league’s Gun Safety Action team, which later went statewide. In the days following the
2016 mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub, she co-founded the Florida Coalition to
Prevent Gun Violence.  
Panelists included:
Abraham Morris, the Children, Youth, and Families Division Manager for the City of Orlando;
Ruben Saldaña, who runs Central Florida’s Credible Messenger program and “Guns
Down, Gloves Up” boxing and mixed martial arts training, and Dr. Shanta Barton-
Stubbs, founder and director of New Image Youth Center.
Dr. Stubbs discussed her work with New Image Youth Center and how she is
empowering young people to find solutions to violence within their communities.
Saldaña talked about a recent trip to Romania with young people for a martial arts
competition. Morris described his work with the City of Orlando and its three-pronged
approach including school-based interventions, a diversion program for young people
emerging from juvenile justice and community-based rights restoration. 

When asked about the conditions that lead to community violence, Dr. Stubbs pointed to
environmental factors including poverty. Morris noted that most gun violence isn’t
random; the people involved often know each other and are known to police. He
discussed how a small number of perpetrators can be identified and outreach
opportunities can be created to target those people for assistance. He elaborated on the
difference between mass shootings and targeted violence, talking about their work to
curb gang violence. Saldaña talked about how he has tried to change the perception of
the young people he works with.
Dr. Stubbs talked about the difficulty of reaching kids who have a different life
experience and the importance of credible messengers. It’s a 24/7 job, she said. When
asked about the gun violence in Orlando, Saldaña said that the term “gang-related”
might be too broadly applied and that Orlando doesn’t have a gang problem. Morris felt
that it was a less-organized form of gangs. 
The moderator asked what we can do at a local level considering Florida’s preemption
laws that prevent local action. There is no easy answer, the panel agreed. Morris talked
about securing firearms and early intervention. Dr. Stubbs also pointed to involvement in
education and making resources available. Saldaña said people should think about
what they needed as a child to succeed and reach out to at-risk youth to provide those
resources.  
Saldaña also discussed in raw detail his experience in prison and how it changed the
trajectory of his life and inspired him to help others. The panelists also were asked to
share what brought them to this work, and they presented their success stories.
In Hot Topics Overtime, Morris and other intervention leaders hosted a young man who
had been involved with gun violence but decided he wanted a different kind of life and
now intends to join the military. Intervention programs are intensive because the
participants face many social barriers. The young man mentioned that he didn’t know
how to fill out a job application and needed coaching in basic life skills.
Gun-lock giveaways also are important. The Polk County League of Women Voters
partnered with Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd on a safe gun storage PSA called “Lock
It or Lose It.” Plastic gun locks are inexpensive and effective. The Polk County league
has given away about 3,000 gun locks so far.

Morris mentioned that Orlando has seen “a remarkable decline” in gun violence since the start of the Community Violence Intervention program, which launched in November 2022. The data comparison looks at shootings, gunshot wounds and homicides from three years before the launch of the program. 

“Over the past two years, the CVI team has successfully mediated 607 conflicts — each of which had the potential to escalate into gun violence,” he said. Morris said the data underscores the importance of combining both law enforcement and community-based approaches. 

Data comparison document:

https://costofviolence.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Orlando.pdf


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TAKE ACTION
TAKE ACTION
VISIT the links (shown top of page) of the organizations that our panelists are involved in to see how you can expand your advocacy and HELP reduce gun violence in Florida.

Review how the data underscores the importance of combining both law enforcement and community-based approaches by clicking comparison document below:

https://costofviolence.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Orlando.pdf

And, the disheartening numbers behind:
Orlando Cost Per Shooting




               

Slideshow
Hot Topics Nov. 2024 Gun Violence