DOVER, De – Today, Everytown for Gun Safety and the Delaware chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, applauded Governor Matt Meyer for signing an Executive Order on his 100th day in office that will create a Delaware Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety. This Office will serve as a central coordinator of all gun violence prevention efforts across the state and bring together agencies across government and community violence prevention organizations to address this crisis.
“We’ve long advocated for a coordinated, data-informed approach to gun violence prevention,” said Monisha Henley, senior vice president for government affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety. “Governor Meyer’s executive order is exactly the type of leadership we need—placing community voices and public health at the center of prevention efforts. As a native Delawarean and a gun safety advocate, I couldn’t be prouder that our state is creating an office dedicated to doing just that.”
“Community violence intervention programs like mine see the causes and the impacts of gun violence up close, and that’s why it’s critical that we are included in conversations about how to address this crisis,” said Darryl Chambers, a volunteer with the Delaware chapter of Moms Demand Action and the Executive Director of the Center for Structural Equity. “With this new office, Governor Meyer is ensuring that Delaware is attacking this crisis head-on, with a whole-of-government approach. This is the kind of leadership that we need in Delaware to continue saving lives and making progress on gun violence prevention.”
“I want to grow up in a state that prioritizes public safety and creating an Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety is going to help make that possible,” said Sydney McLean, a volunteer leader with Students Demand Action from Delaware. “Governor Meyer has been committed to keeping our communities safe and today he’s continuing to build on that legacy. Now we are looking forward to seeing the kind of progress that can be made through this new Office.”
Governor Matt Meyer’s Executive Order creates the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety dedicated to addressing and reducing gun violence in Delaware. The Office will be under the supervision of the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security and have a designated Director of the Office to coordinate all efforts against gun violence between state and local governments and community violence prevention organizations. Now that the federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention has been shuttered under the Trump Administration, a strong office dedicated to addressing this crisis in Delaware is more important than ever.
In an average year in Delaware, 127 people die by guns and 305 are wounded. Delaware has the 11th strongest gun safety laws in the country. Gun violence costs Delaware $1.4 billion each year, of which $44.4 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Delaware is available here.