Violence Policy Center

The Violence Policy Center (VPC) is a national 501(c)(3) educational organization working to stop gun death and injury through research, advocacy, education, and collaboration. Founded in 1988 by Josh Sugarmann, a native of Newtown, Connecticut, the VPC approaches violence, and firearms violence in particular, as a public health issue affecting the whole population, rather than solely a criminal matter.

Organizational background
The VPC has drawn the attention of Congress to gun-related policy issues by distributing its published research and analysis, and numerous US gun violence prevention organizations have used VPC reports and terminology to advance local and national gun control initiatives. The VPC is known mainly for its in-depth research on the firearms industry, the causes and impacts of gun violence, and regulatory policies to reduce gun violence. The VPC advocates for pro-gun control legislation and policy that is usually opposed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other national or state gun lobbyists.

Since the VPC has no official membership fee, it relies on donations from the public and foundation support. The primary foundation donor to the VPC is the Joyce Foundation, which also supports other gun violence prevention organizations including the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence and the American College of Preventive Medicine. The VPC publicizes its research through the news media and through coalitions with other advocacy organizations.

Domestic violence
The VPC publishes an annual report on the number of females murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents. The study is published to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. The report is based on the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Report, and along with national statistics it ranks each state on the homicide rate for women murdered by men. It also notes the percentage of homicides where the murderer used a gun.

Concealed carry
The VPC maintains a "Concealed Carry Killers" database of fatal non-self defense shootings involving persons legally allowed to carry concealed handguns. The VPC also highlights mass shootings involving persons who were granted concealed carry permits.

Gun Industry donations
The VPC has issued reports that document the gun industry's financial contributions to the NRA. In 2013, the VPC found that the firearms industry has donated between $19.3 million and $60.2 million to the NRA since 2005.

50-caliber rifles
The VPC has long advocated for a ban on .50 caliber rifles. In 2001, the VPC issued a study that detailed "the 50 caliber's threat as an ideal tool for assassination and terrorism, including its ability to attack and cripple key elements of the nation's critical infrastructure—including aircraft and other transportation, electrical power grids, pipeline networks, chemical plants, and other hazardous industrial facilities".

In January 2005, the VPC was featured on the CBS news and current affairs program 60 Minutes, which ran a segment on .50 caliber rifles and the threat to public safety that they were alleged to pose. It drew heavily on VPC reports on the .50 BMG cartridge and conducted interviews with both Ronnie Barrett of Barrett Firearms and Tom Diaz of the VPC. The NRA and others alleged the story was biased in the VPC's favor and claimed that no .50 caliber rifle has ever been used in the commission of a crime. In response, the VPC issued a backgrounder detailing criminal use and possession of .50 caliber rifles, including examples of murders by criminals using .50 caliber rifles. The list does not clarify whether the weapons seized were possessed legally or not. In September 2004, California became the only state to ban .50 caliber rifles.

Firearms imports
Thousands of assault weapons sold in the United States are illegally trafficked into Mexico each year. Many are foreign-made weapons that are imported into the United States and then sold to "straw purchasers" and other illegal traffickers. In testimony to Congress and in reports, the VPC has stated that the U.S. government is not enforcing the "sporting purposes" test that bans the import of firearms that lack a sporting purpose. In 1989, ATF officials and the administration of George H. W. Bush used their administrative powers to prohibit the import of firearms that are not "generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes." Despite this prohibition, gun manufacturers were able to skirt the ban by making slight cosmetic changes to their weapons. This led toa review by the Clinton administration and resulted in a new round of weapons being banned for import. The VPC argues that today the import ban has for the most part been abandoned with foreign-made assault rifles -- whole and in parts -- being freely imported into the United States. In response, the VPC has asked the ATF to enforce a ban on the import of foreign-made assault rifles.