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Bill

S 3897

Requires AG to report data regarding shootings that did not result in bodily injury.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Angela McKnight and 2 co-sponsors

New Jersey AG must report data on all shooting incidents regardless of whether they caused injuries, filling a gap in current gun violence tracking.

Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
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Bill Summary · S 3897

Legislative bill overview

S 3897 mandates that New Jersey's Attorney General compile and report data on shooting incidents that did not result in bodily injury to victims. Currently, official shooting statistics typically focus on incidents resulting in injuries or deaths, meaning these non-injury shootings largely go untracked at the state level. This bill seeks to create a more comprehensive record of all shooting incidents regardless of outcome.

Why is this important

Shooting incidents without injuries still represent significant public safety events that may indicate patterns of gun violence, gang activity, or community danger that current data collection misses. Having complete shooting data—including near-misses or shots fired—could inform law enforcement strategies, community safety planning, and evidence-based policymaking. The information gap means legislators and the public currently lack a full picture of gun violence prevalence in the state.

Potential points of contention

  • Data collection burden: Police departments may face administrative costs and logistical challenges in tracking and reporting every non-injury shooting incident consistently across all municipalities
  • Privacy and investigation concerns: Detailed reporting of shooting incidents could complicate ongoing investigations, compromise law enforcement sources, or raise privacy issues for those involved
  • Definition ambiguity: The bill may lack clear criteria for what constitutes a "shooting that did not result in bodily injury"—does this include accidental discharges, defensive gun uses, or only criminal shots fired?

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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