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Brockton's death rate from firearms soars
By Elaine Allegrini, Enterprise staff writer
Brockton's death rate from firearms is more than 2.5 times the state average and the highest in southeastern Massachusetts — a grim figure that comes as gang violence erupts among younger teens.
In Brockton the number of gun deaths was 8.5 per 100,000 population between 2003 to 2005, as compared to Fall River that had 3.1 and New Bedford that had 8.0, a report revealed.
The statistics were released Thursday, a day after federal, state and local law enforcement officers searched for caches of guns in Brockton and in the same week a 14-year-old was killed in a brazen shooting on a city street.
The slaying of Marvin Constant on Sunday was the city's fourth fatal shooting of the year.
State Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach released the findings, based on 2003-2005 statistics, during a meeting in Fall River Thursday.
Later, he told The Enterprise that the report and public input will be used to establish priorities for the department as Gov. Deval Patrick's administration restores funding that had been dramatically reduced in past years.
The award last week of a grant to Brockton Hospital for the treatment of victims of violence is one example of change, he said.
The hospital is getting $100,000 to hire personnel to assist victims of violent crime treated in its emergency department.
The focus will be on counseling victims in addition to providing medical treatment, he said.
The report compares Brockton, the largest community in southeastern Massachusetts with a population of 100,366, to the cities of Fall River and New Bedford.
Moises Rodrigues, community outreach director for Mayor James E. Harrington, said the report is not alarming.
“If we have the largest population, we're going to have the largest everything,” he said.
But, Rodrigues said, even one death is too many.
“That's unfortunately one of the things we're struggling with, trying to get guns off the streets,” he said.
The state health study also found that Brockton's HIV mortality rate is significantly higher than the state's rate.
The report includes information on the high incidence of deaths from cancer and heart disease in southeastern Massachusetts and an increase in obesity.
Auerbach said all these issues are on the table to be addressed.
Additional resources, he said, will be directed to opiate abuse through a three-pronged approach:
*Increased education in schools.
*More financial assistance and access to care for drug abusers.
*Innovative efforts to avert overdoses by providing education and medication.
Auerbach said tobacco control programs need to be restored and
he sees the need to concentrate on the rapidly growing problem of obesity.
“A lot of evidence shows us that supports in the community, like nutrition and exercise, are more effective in treating these conditions,” he said.
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Brockton's death rate from firearms soars
By Elaine Allegrini, Enterprise staff writer
Brockton's death rate from firearms is more than 2.5 times the state average and the highest in southeastern Massachusetts — a grim figure that comes as gang violence erupts among younger teens.
In Brockton the number of gun deaths was 8.5 per 100,000 population between 2003 to 2005, as compared to Fall River that had 3.1 and New Bedford that had 8.0, a report revealed.
The statistics were released Thursday, a day after federal, state and local law enforcement officers searched for caches of guns in Brockton and in the same week a 14-year-old was killed in a brazen shooting on a city street.
The slaying of Marvin Constant on Sunday was the city's fourth fatal shooting of the year.
State Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach released the findings, based on 2003-2005 statistics, during a meeting in Fall River Thursday.
Later, he told The Enterprise that the report and public input will be used to establish priorities for the department as Gov. Deval Patrick's administration restores funding that had been dramatically reduced in past years.
The award last week of a grant to Brockton Hospital for the treatment of victims of violence is one example of change, he said.
The hospital is getting $100,000 to hire personnel to assist victims of violent crime treated in its emergency department.
The focus will be on counseling victims in addition to providing medical treatment, he said.
The report compares Brockton, the largest community in southeastern Massachusetts with a population of 100,366, to the cities of Fall River and New Bedford.
Moises Rodrigues, community outreach director for Mayor James E. Harrington, said the report is not alarming.
“If we have the largest population, we're going to have the largest everything,” he said.
But, Rodrigues said, even one death is too many.
“That's unfortunately one of the things we're struggling with, trying to get guns off the streets,” he said.
The state health study also found that Brockton's HIV mortality rate is significantly higher than the state's rate.
The report includes information on the high incidence of deaths from cancer and heart disease in southeastern Massachusetts and an increase in obesity.
Auerbach said all these issues are on the table to be addressed.
Additional resources, he said, will be directed to opiate abuse through a three-pronged approach:
*Increased education in schools.
*More financial assistance and access to care for drug abusers.
*Innovative efforts to avert overdoses by providing education and medication.
Auerbach said tobacco control programs need to be restored and
he sees the need to concentrate on the rapidly growing problem of obesity.
“A lot of evidence shows us that supports in the community, like nutrition and exercise, are more effective in treating these conditions,” he said.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
SUBMISSION FORM
http://dns.blindergroup.com/southof...rprise/letters/
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
Silly rabbit! MA doesn't need an excuse to grab more of our money.
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
