Progress Is Not Permanent

A Different Kind of Headline

There is a story unfolding in California that deserves more attention—not because things are getting worse, but because they are getting better.

A new report from the state, led by Attorney General Rob Bonta, shows California has reached some of the lowest levels of gun violence on record. Firearm deaths, homicides, and suicides have all declined, with 2024 marking the lowest number of firearm-related deaths since 1968.

That kind of progress does not happen by accident.

It reflects years of sustained effort—strong laws, targeted enforcement, community-based intervention, and investments that focused on those most at risk. State leaders point directly to those coordinated strategies as the reason violence has declined.

A Warning Beneath the Progress

But the report carries a warning that is just as important as the progress.

The same investments that helped drive these reductions are now declining. Federal support is shrinking. State and local funding is becoming less certain. And the programs that have proven effective are beginning to feel that pressure.

In simple terms, California stands at a crossroads.

The question is not whether the strategies work. The data makes that clear. The question is whether we are willing to sustain them.

What This Looks Like in Santa Rosa

Here in Santa Rosa, this is not an abstract conversation.

We see what a coordinated approach looks like every day. The Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership represents years of intentional collaboration across systems—law enforcement, schools, community-based organizations, public health, and residents working toward a shared goal. The work is steady and often behind the scenes, but it is real. It reflects a long-term commitment to prevention, intervention, and community engagement.

At the same time, the Santa Rosa Police Department continues to play a critical role in removing illegal and dangerous firearms from our streets—and that work has been widely documented in recent news coverage. In one of the largest recent cases, investigators seized more than 165 firearms, including assault weapons and ghost guns, along with 3D printers used to manufacture untraceable weapons.

Earlier reporting also shows that officers seized at least 88 illegally possessed firearms in 2025 alone, many of them ghost guns. These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a sustained effort to disrupt illegal gun manufacturing, trafficking, and possession in our community. Every weapon taken off the street reduces risk. Every seizure represents a potential act of violence that may have been prevented before it occurred.

This is what comprehensive public safety looks like. It is not a single strategy. It is many strategies, aligned and sustained over time.

The Risk of Losing Ground

That is why this moment matters.

The risk we face is not a lack of understanding. We know what works. The risk is that success creates a false sense of security. When violence declines, attention shifts. When attention shifts, funding follows. And when funding declines, the very systems that produced progress begin to weaken.

We have seen this pattern before. Progress leads to stability. Stability can lead to complacency. And complacency can undo years of work.

Violence does not wait for us to get re-engaged.

A Shared Responsibility Moving Forward

The report from the Attorney General is not just a reflection of where we are. It is a reminder of what it takes to stay there. It reinforces something many of us have long believed: public safety is built through sustained partnerships, not short-term responses.

For Santa Rosa, the path forward is clear. It means continuing to support the Violence Prevention Partnership and the network of organizations doing this work every day. It means maintaining investment in strategies that interrupt cycles of violence before they escalate. It means continuing to support law enforcement efforts that keep illegal firearms out of our communities. And it means recognizing that no single system can do this alone.

Normalizing the Conversation

There is also more work ahead, and some of it begins with something simple: conversation.

Expanding education around responsible gun ownership and safe storage remains essential. Equally important is normalizing how we talk about firearms in everyday life. These conversations do not have to be political, nor should they come across as challenging anyone’s constitutional rights. At their core, they are about safety.

Think about a common moment. A parent is dropping their child off for a playdate. If the home had a swimming pool, most parents would not hesitate to ask about supervision, fencing, or safety measures. That question feels natural. It is expected.

But asking whether there are firearms in the home—and whether they are stored safely—can feel uncomfortable, even as gun violence remains the leading cause of death for children.

That hesitation matters.

Research shows that secure storage is one of the most effective ways to reduce both unintentional shootings and suicide risk, yet many families never have that conversation. The challenge is not just awareness. It is comfort. People are often unsure how to ask, how it will be received, or whether it is appropriate at all.

The same dynamic exists in healthcare settings.

Medical professionals routinely ask about seatbelts, smoking, alcohol use, and other safety risks. But conversations about firearms are far less consistent, even though they can be just as important. Studies show that many clinicians recognize the value of discussing firearm safety, but often lack the training, time, or confidence to do so effectively.

And yet, when those conversations do happen, they can make a difference.

Evidence shows that patients—including gun owners—are generally receptive to respectful, nonjudgmental discussions about firearm safety. Clinicians who approach the topic in a way that aligns with a patient’s values and reasons for ownership can help influence safer storage practices and reduce risk.

The key is how the conversation begins.

Experts recommend starting with a simple, normalized approach—treating firearms as one of many household safety topics. In the same way a provider might ask about medications, car seats, or pools, they can ask about firearms: Are there any in the home? How are they stored?

That same approach can apply in our daily lives.

We can ask without accusing.
We can listen without judging.
We can focus on safety without creating division.

These are small shifts, but they matter.

Because prevention is not always about large systems or major interventions. Sometimes it is about ordinary people having thoughtful, respectful conversations at the right moment.

These are not separate efforts. They are part of a broader commitment to building a safer community—one conversation, one family, one decision at a time.

Why This Matters Today

Public safety is not achieved through a single policy or program. It is built through sustained, coordinated effort across an entire community.

The progress we are seeing today reflects years of investment, collaboration, and shared responsibility. But that progress is not permanent. When funding declines and attention shifts, the systems that prevent violence begin to weaken.

This is a moment to stay engaged, not step back. Communities like Santa Rosa have shown what is possible when people work together with intention and purpose. The responsibility now is to sustain that work, support what is effective, and ensure that prevention remains a priority.

Because progress is not defined by what we achieve once, but by what we are willing to maintain.