Community Gun Violence Prevention Alliance to Host Town Halls

The Community Gun Violence Prevention Alliance invites residents to participate in a series of upcoming town hall meetings to help shape a countywide strategic plan to address gun violence.

In 2023, the Alachua County Commission declared gun violence a public health crisis, as it is the leading cause of children's deaths in the nation.

The alliance is a partnership between Alachua County, the City of Gainesville, the Children's Trust of Alachua County and Santa Fe College. The group has contracted DPI LLC to facilitate the planning process and gather community input.

Three town hall meetings will be held in October:

• Wednesday, Oct. 1, 5:30 p.m. - Hosted by the Black on Black Crime Task Force at Gainesville Police Department headquarters (545 NW 8th Ave., Gainesville)
• Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. - Virtual meeting via Zoom
• Tuesday, Oct. 7, 6 p.m. - Virtual meeting via Zoom
  

Organizers encourage residents to attend individually or in groups from homes, workplaces, churches, neighborhood meetings and book clubs.

"Preventing gun violence takes all of us working together," said Carl Smart, Alachua County's executive liaison for public safety and community relations. "These town halls are a chance for residents to share their ideas and help shape meaningful strategies that protect our children and communities."

For more information, contact Carl Smart at 352-231-1649 or [email protected].

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