Niagara University Professors Researching Gun-Related Crime Trends
Having conducted several interviews with both victims and perpetrators of gun-involved violence in Niagara Falls, Drs. Timothy Lauger and Craig Rivera say that they are startled by how casually these individuals recount their experiences.
“There are a few individuals in Niagara Falls who have been involved in 10-11 shootings. Sometimes they’re on the receiving end of it, but often they’re shooting,” noted Dr. Rivera. “The frequency with which these types of events occur in their lives is alarming and something that we hope to play a role in addressing through this study.”
The Niagara University criminal justice professors are consulting with the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office on a Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) grant from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. Their primary role is to conduct research to assess gun-related crime trends in Niagara Falls, including delineating hotspots, examining underlying reasons for trends, and identifying key groups and individuals responsible for these trends.