MDHHS urges use of injury and violence data dashboards to help communities develop prevention programs as part of Gun Violence Awareness Month

Residents reminded about free gun lock availability, locater map

LANSING, Mich. - As part of Gun Violence Awareness Month, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is encouraging the use of its interactive injury and violence data dashboards to help support strategies to address community violence. The dashboards provide communities and policymakers with key insights to address injury and violence trends with effective, evidence-based prevention interventions.

Injuries are a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Specifically, firearm injuries are the No. 1 cause of death among children and adolescents. These trends are also reflected in Michigan, where unintentional injuries, which include homicides and suicides, are the leading causes of death among people ages 1 to 44 years old.

"It is imperative that Michigan communities, local leaders and policymakers have access to the best information available when making decisions intended to make our communities safer," said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. "These dashboards will help people better understand the injury and violence prevention work that needs to be done in their area. By providing timely data, communities can make decisions in real time to protect those who are the most vulnerable."

Dashboards include:

• Advancing Violence Epidemiology in Real-Time Firearm Injury Dashboard, which displays data from the last 12 months on emergency department (ED) visits due to firearm injuries.

• Nonfatal Suicide Dashboard, which displays data from the last 12 months on ED visits related to suicide attempts and suicidal ideation.

• Michigan Injury Indicators Dashboard, which provides data on deaths, hospitalizations and ED visits for 10 common injury types.

Additional information is available on the Michigan Violent Death Reporting System Dashboard and Injury and Violence Data webpages. All dashboards are routinely updated and can be used to:

• View how injury and violence trends change over time.

• Identify groups at higher risk of injury or violence.

• Pinpoint injury and violence trends in different areas of the state.

• Describe trends for specific types of violence and provide insights into optimal points for intervention.

For resources on injury and violence prevention, visit the MDHHS Injury and Violence Prevention webpage and for specific firearm injury prevention information, visit the MDHHS Firearm Injury Prevention page.

Free locks available, map provides locations

To help gun owners safely store firearms and comply with the state's Safe Storage Law, free cable-style gun locks are available at more than 100 locations across the state. The Gun Lock Distribution Map can help residents easily locate the free firearm safety devices at community organizations, local health departments and other partners.

The gun locks are provided by the Michigan State Police and purchased through Project ChildSafe, a nationwide firearm safety initiative. Gun lock installation instructions are included within the product's packaging and are also available on the Project ChildSafe website.

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