The Maryland Department of Health is launching a new dashboard focused on cataloging firearm violence around the state; it coincides with a state preliminary plan for an approach to reduce firearm violence.

The dashboard shows detailed geographic data on homicides and suicides as well as the type of gun involved and the reason behind the violence. It includes conducting needs assessment and landscape analysis to build a long-term strategic plan and policy recommendations for state leaders as well as enhancing firearm-related data and analysis to inform and improve public health policies and programs.

“We are releasing the center's preliminary state plan for a public health approach to reducing firearm violence and the firearm violence data dashboard together, these much needed, critical tools will inform our public health and prevention efforts to reduce firearm violence across the state, but first the preliminary state plan, this will serve as our roadmap as the center develops its long term strategic plan,” MDH Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani told reporters Thursday.

Maryland ranks 9th highest for firearm homicides in the nation and 42nd in gun-related suicides.

In 2024, there were 671 firearm fatalities in the state, about 55% were homicides.

The preliminary plan includes prevention and assessment which would create violence reduction councils, expand firearm surrender programs and promote safe storage practices.

It also includes intervention and response through community violence interruption and street outreach programs, cognitive behavioral techniques and crisis intervention teams.

Other pillars include community engagement for resilience and scaling up public health approaches to gun violence.

“The Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention will utilize this road map to foster statewide collaboration, invest in evidence-informed solutions in communities most impacted by gun violence and its resulting traumas, and support state leaders with timely and relevant data to improve our response to the gun violence crisis,” the plan states.

MDH’s dashboard will bolster that effort by building detailed data that can be shared with the public and community partners.

“We need to make sure that we know what gun violence looks like around our state, so we need to have a better understanding of how different counties and zip codes and jurisdictions are affected by suicide,” said Jen Pauliukonis, the executive director of MDH’s Center on Firearm Violence Prevention. “Advocates can utilize this to better understand areas like the lower shore with the high rates of firearm suicide rates, and, of course, Baltimore City and Prince George's County, to identify where we need additional community violence intervention programs.”