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Participate in thought-provoking reads designed to introduce incoming freshmen to Duke’s academic climate and encourage intellectual dialogue. This year’s selection is 
Policing Gun Violence: Strategic Reforms for Controlling Our Most Pressing Crime Problem
In many U.S. cities, gun violence is the most urgent crime problem. High rates of deadly violence make a city less livable, dragging down quality of life, economic development, and property values. The police are the primary agency tasked with controlling gun violence, yet advocates for gun violence prevention either ignore the police or only reference them as a part of the problem. But in fact, more effective policing is key to the success of any comprehensive effort to reduce community gun violence.
The stakes are high--gun violence is concentrated in low-income Black communities, and consequently these communities bear the brunt of the associated economic, social, and psychological burdens. Any successful strategy must overcome the current impasse where the residents of high-violence neighborhoods do not trust the police, having experienced both abuse and neglect in their dealings with officers. How can police departments find the right balance between over- and under-policing of high-violence areas? What are the best practices for police to preempt and deter gun violence, while engendering support and cooperation from the public?
Drawing on fifty years of research and practical experience, Policing Gun Violence argues that it is possible for the police to create greater public safety while respecting the rights of individuals and communities. While gun violence can be attributed to various systemic causes that should remain on the public agenda--from widespread gun availability to poverty and racism--Anthony A. Braga and Philip J. Cook make the case that violence is itself a root cause of social disparity and future violence. Effective law enforcement is a vital component of a just society. They review and synthesize the evidence in several key areas: enforcement of gun laws, policing hot spots, controlling high-risk groups through focused deterrence, enhancing investigations to increase the arrest and conviction rate, preventing officer-involved shootings, and disrupting underground gun markets. Policing Gun Violence serves as a guide to how the police can better utilize their considerable resources to make cities safer.
Biography
Philip J. Cook has been a member of the Duke faculty for 50 years, and is currently Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Economics. He was a founding member of the Sanford School faculty, and served as director for a total of 7 years. He is one of the first scholars to undertake research on gun violence prevention. In 2020, his contributions in this area were recognized by the award of the Stockholm Prize in Criminology. Earlier, in 2001, he was elected to membership in the National Academy of Medicine. His research has focused on the costs and consequences of the widespread availability of guns, and what might be done about it. His most recent book, with Anthony A. Braga, is Policing Gun Violence (Oxford University Press 2023). Previous books on gun violence prevention include Gun Violence: The Real Costs (Oxford University Press, 2000, co-authored with Jens Ludwig), and The Gun Debate (Oxford University Press 2014, 2020, co-authored with Kristin A. Goss) which is intended for a general audience seeking an objective assessment of the relevant issues. He is currently the scientific director for a multi-faceted project to improve clearance rates for shooting cases in Chicago.