Additional Areas of Research

The Center is constantly exploring risk factors for gun violence to better understand and prevent the burden of gun violence.

Center faculty conduct research on connection between alcohol and substance use and gun violence, as well as issues around mass shootings, mental illness and school safety. We occasionally consider proposals to research specific gun violence topics from Foundations or private individuals.

Key Statistic

Alcohol outlets in Baltimore that sell alcohol for off-premise consumption (such as liquor stores and beer and wine stores) have a stronger association with incidences of violent crimes, including homicides, aggravated assaults, sexual assaults, and robbery, than alcohol outlets in Baltimore where alcohol is bought and consumed on-site, such as bars and restaurants. A 10 percent increase in access to liquor stores and beer and wine stores has a 37 percent greater association with violent crime than the same increase in on-premise outlets. ^[1]

“A comprehensive approach to reducing violent crime in Baltimore must include policies that restrict or regulate alcohol outlets, particularly those that sell alcohol for off-site consumption. Reducing the number of off-site alcohol outlets in Baltimore has the potential to lead to fewer homicides and aggravated assaults.”

– Daniel Webster, Center Director

Select Journal Articles

• Evaluation of a Crisis Intervention Team Pilot Program: Results from Baltimore, MD
  Booty MD, Williams RG, Crifasi CK. Community Ment Health J (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00474-w
• Desirability of Personalized Guns Among Current Gun Owners
  Crifasi CK, O'Dwyer JK, McGinty EE, Webster DW, Barry CL. Amer J Prev Medicine. 2019 Aug;57(2):191-196.
• Outlet Type, Access to Alcohol, and Violent Crime.
  Trangenstein PJ, Curriero FC, Webster D, Jennings JM, Latkin C, Eck R, Jernigan DH. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018 Nov;42(11):2234-2245.
• Firearms and Dementia. 
  Betz ME, McCourt AD, Vernick JS, Ranney ML, Wintemute GJ. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Nov 20;169(10):740.
• Time to pull the trigger? Examining the ethical permissibility of minimum age restrictions for gun ownership and use.
  Morain SR, Crifasi CK. Prev Med. 2018 Nov 6;118:205-209.  
• The Roles of Alcohol and Drugs in Firearm Violence.
  McGinty EE, Webster DW. JAMA Intern Med. 2017 Mar 1;177(3):324-325.   
• The True Effect of Mass Shootings on Americans.
  Webster DW. Ann Intern Med. 2017 May 16;166(10):749-750.   
• The Relationship Between Controlled Substances and Violence. 
  McGinty EE, Choksy S, Wintemute GJ. Epidemiol Rev. 2016;38(1):5-31.
• Lessons From Australia's National Firearms Agreement
  Webster DW. JAMA. 2016 Jul 19;316(3):279-81. 
• Assaults against U.S. law enforcement officers in the line-of-duty: situational context and predictors of lethality.
  Crifasi CK, Pollack KM, Webster DW. Inj Epidemiol. 2016 Dec;3(1):29. 
• Gun policy and serious mental illness: priorities for future research and policy.
  McGinty EE, Webster DW, Barry CL. Psychiatr Serv. 2014 Jan 1;65(1):50-8.   
• Using research evidence to reframe the policy debate around mental illness and guns: process and recommendations.
  McGinty EE, Frattaroli S, Appelbaum PS, Bonnie RJ, Grilley A, Horwitz J, Swanson JW, Webster DW.
  Am J Public Health. 2014 Nov;104(11):e22-6.
• News media framing of serious mental illness and gun violence in the United States, 1997-2012.
  McGinty EE, Webster DW, Jarlenski M, Barry CL. Am J Public Health. 2014 Mar;104(3):406-13.
• Implementing a public health approach to gun violence prevention: the importance of physician engagement.
  Frattaroli S, Webster DW, Wintemute GJ. Ann Intern Med. 2013 May 7;158(9):697-8. 

News Releases

• Survey: Majority of Current Gun Owners Support the Sale of Personalized Guns
  Wed, 10 June 2019
• Baltimore Liquor Stores Linked More to Violent Crime Than Bars and Restaurants 
  Wed, 26 Sep 2018
• 93% of Homicides of U.S. Law Enforcement Officers Result from Firearms 
  Thu, 30 May 2013