Harris County has taken action to expand programs designed to keep weapons away from domestic violence abusers, expedite checks to keep gun dealers from unknowingly selling to people convicted of crimes, and encourage the use of gun locks to keep guns from the hands of children.

Key Accomplishments

• Passed common-sense gun safety measures. Despite continued roadblocks at the Federal and State level, the County has taken action to expand programs designed to keep weapons away from domestic violence abusers, expedite checks to keep gun dealers from unknowingly selling to people convicted of crimes, and encourage the use of gun locks to keep guns from the hands of children. The County has also established a task force on violence and injury prevention that will study gun violence.

• Passed a resolution that called for a special session of the Texas State Legislature to address gun violence and school safety following the Uvalde school shooting.

• Hosting eight gun buyback events in conjunction with the Commissioner Precincts. The gun buyback events will allow gun owners to voluntarily and safely surrender personal firearms to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in exchange for gift cards. The goal is to take unwanted firearms off the streets and reduce the possibility that they could be a hazard at home or wind up in the wrong hands.

• Directed Harris County to draft a report on the frequency, location, and causes of youth gun violence in Harris County from 2015 to the present. The report will include the most effective, evidence-based policy solutions to address and prevent youth gun violence and deaths of children due to gun violence and will require County researchers to consult with relevant stakeholders.