For more information about what data is available for request, click here.
The Los Angeles County Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), housed within the Department of Public Health, works to strengthen coordination, capacity and partnerships to address the root causes of violence, and to advance policies and practices that are grounded in race equity, to prevent all forms of violence and to promote healing across all communities in Los Angeles County.
OVP monitors the trends and circumstances of violent deaths affecting Los Angeles County to inform decision makers and program planners about ways to prevent and intervene on violence in the community, at home and in the workplace.
As students across Los Angeles County head back to school this fall, many will be navigating more than just homework and new routines. For many young people, the school year also brings anxiety about safety on campus, in their communities, and even in their own homes.
In 2021, 13.4% of LAUSD high school students reported that they missed school at least once in the past 30 days because they did not feel safe at school or on their way to or from school.1 From 2021-2023, 24% of 7th graders in Los Angeles County reported they were afraid of being beaten up at school at least once in the past 12 months and 15% of 9th graders in Los Angeles County reported they had considered suicide at least once in the past 12 months.2 Between 2017 and 2021, nearly 600 youth, aged 10 to 24 died by suicide in Los Angeles County. Of those, more than half had a known mental health condition.3 These statistics underscore the need to prioritize community safety, mental health, and violence prevention.
At OVP, we believe every young person deserves to be safe whether in a classroom, at home, or walking to school. As part of our commitment to building safer communities, we are investing in the following strategies.
Safe Passages and Mental Health Resources for Youth
OVP is supporting youth in schools, homes, and communities. Key efforts include:
Increasing awareness and access to culturally responsive mental health resources OVP’s Conversations Can Help campaign builds on the state’s Never a Bother messaging and includes youth-focused messages, social media content, and community outreach all developed specifically for local Los Angeles County youth. The campaign encourages young people to seek help before a crisis escalates. A toolkit is available on the OVP website.
The Department of Public Health’s Student Wellbeing Centers are housed on school campuses across the county. The program aims to empower students to make informed decisions that promote lifelong health and wellbeing for themselves and their communities. The DPH Student Wellbeing Centers are spaces where students can receive guidance, resources and education to support their physical, emotional and social wellbeing. For more information visit the Student Wellbeing Centers webpage.
The Department of Public Health developed the “Addressing Teen Mental Health Challenges: A Mental Health Toolkit for Parents and Guardians of Teens.” This toolkit includes resources for parents and guardians in addition to resources specifically for teenagers.
LA vs. Hate has toolkits to download for schools and staff to provide resources and help students address bias motivated bullying.
Supporting safe passages to monitor high-risk areas and ensure students travel to and from schools and parks without fear.
In partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), OVP launched the School Safety Transformation Pilot Program in 2022. The initiative connects school districts with community-based organizations to support students and families with on-campus safety, conflict resolution, and trauma-informed care.
A key component of the pilot program is the safe passage strategy, which deploys safety ambassadors to monitor high-risk areas and help ensure students travel to and from school without fear. By reducing violence and increasing visibility of support, this work helps students stay focused on learning, not survival.
The School Threat Assessment Response Team (START) was developed by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to help schools prevent and respond to potential threats of violence. Through close collaboration with school staff and first responders, START works to assess and address concerning behaviors, whether stated, implied, or perceived, before they escalate. When incidents do occur, START team members are available to provide on-site and follow-up mental health support to students, educators, and others impacted.
Providing support for youth who have experienced a loved one die by suicide
OVP is working with two local community-based agencies to expand access to support groups for youth who have had a loved one die by suicide. The agencies each developed curricula to guide the sessions along with grounding exercises and related mental wellbeing resources for program participants.
Expanding trainings for caregivers, educators, and community partners
OVP is providing suicide prevention and/or mental health awareness trainings to County staff, including from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Parks and Recreation.
1. 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey; available online: https://nccd.cdc.gov/Youthonline/App/Default.aspx) 2. 2021-2023 California Healthy Kids Survey; available online: https://calschls.org/reports-data/public-dashboards/) 3.Youth Suicide Deaths in Los Angeles County 2017-2021 (2025); available online: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ovp/docs/Data%20Reports/OVP_Youth-Suicide-Deaths-2017-2021.pdf
Recent actions by immigration enforcement agents have caused fear and anxiety in communities across Los Angeles County. The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) stands in solidarity with immigrant communities during this time of uncertainty and upheaval. We are committed to upholding the core principles of public health, including equity, compassion, promoting wellbeing, and preventing harm by supporting communities across Los Angeles County regardless of their immigration status.
Detention, deportation and threat of deportation affect undocumented people, their children and family members who are often legal residents, anyone perceived to be an immigrant based on skin color or other factors, people with whom they share communities or schools, and our broader society. The health of our communities cannot be upheld, promoted, or protected when our immigrant and refugee communities are in fear of being detained and deported.
Now is the time to come together, speak up, and support each other. We are here. We care. And we will keep working side by side with our communities to ensure that every person and community is treated with human dignity. Towards this end OVP will continue to share information and resources with all immigrant populations and with our community partners; create and support healing spaces and venues; and support those on the frontlines to facilitate access to resources.
Immigrant Legal Resource Center: Red Cards inform how people can assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations, such as when immigration agents go to a home.
California Collaborative For Immigrant Justice
CCIJ utilizes coordination, advocacy, and legal services to fight for the liberation of immigrants in detention in California. CCIJ uses legal and advocacy initiatives, data and reporting, public health and immigrant detention and campaigns for liberation to strengthen and guide both grassroots and statewide efforts.
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
CHIRLA's Workers' Rights and Labor Legal Services Department works at the intersection of immigration law and employment law. Access immigration legal services for students, deportation defense, family immigration and unity, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
Detention Support
What to Do if You Are Arrested or Detained by Immigration
To locate a loved one that has been detained for more than 48 hours, visit the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.Please note: Online Detainee Locator System cannot search for records of persons under the age of 18.
LAUSD Parent and Family Academy Webinar Recording: Know Your Rights essential updates, real-life vignettes, and a family preparedness plan. English | Español
The Mobile Immigrant Services Clinic provides free, in-language support to immigrants experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity across LA County.
Provide emergency childcare, food, and transportation.
Shop for their groceries or run errands for them if they do not feel safe leaving their homes. Visit FREE food distributions at DPH Wellness Centers and offer to pick it up for them.
Help cover rent, utilities, or lost income.
Connect folks to legal aid and help gather vital documents.
Encourage and assist them make plans for what to do when a family member is displaced.
Offer mental health support, healing circles, and spaces to feel safe again.
Keep showing up! - Organize, advocate, and amplify their stories.
Medi-Cal & Personal Data
There are reports that the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services may have shared personal data, including immigration status, of Medi-Cal members with the Department of Homeland Security. The State of California has been attempting to verify if this occurred but has been unable to do so at this point. Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) continues to administer the Medi-Cal program, which provides health care access to over 3.4 million residents across Los Angeles County.
DPSS suggests customers consider a few things:
Eligibility rules for Medi-Cal and other DPSS-administered programs have not changed. If any changes do occur, you will be notified.
DPSS services are available remotely. You can reach them at 866-613-3777, or through the BenefitsCal website.
Familiarize yourself with the Know Your Rights materials they have distributed on social media platforms and at our public offices.
My Tree of Pride/Nuestro Árbol del Orgullo: A gentle art activity for children and kids at heart to celebrate their roots, express their dreams, and reclaim joy—especially in the face of anti-immigrant messages that can weigh on their hearts.
It’s okay if you’re feeling confused, scared, or unsure.
Do you want to talk about what’s happening?
Some people in our country are being taken away from their homes because of where they were born, where their families are from, or how they got here.
Families are being separated, and this is hurting a lot of people - including kids just like you.
This is not okay, and it is not how these issues are supposed to be handled. Everyone deserves to feel safe, to be with their families, and to have a place to call home.
There are many reasons why someone might come to this country. Most people want to create a beautiful life for themselves and their families, just like we do.
You may have heard the word ICE, which stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is the law enforcement agency that comes to send people away.
Many of our community members are working hard to protect people and keep everyone safe. Many people are raising their voices to speak up for change.
People like me are here to help keep you safe and informed. You can always ask questions. You can always talk to me.
It’s okay to feel big feelings about this. Scared. Mad. Confused. You are not alone.
You can help by learning, listening, and speaking up for what is right. Every voice matters - including yours.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Office of Violence Prevention, in partnership with Southern California Grantmakers, is excited to announce 12 community-based organizations that have been selected to receive funding as part of the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention Community Grant. This represents the first time Los Angeles County has allocated funding of this scale, $2 million, for GBV prevention efforts. Awardees were selected through a competitive review process and represent a diverse and dynamic group of organizations committed to advancing GBV prevention, healing, and safety across Los Angeles County.
We sincerely thank all the organizations that applied and recognize the time, care, and commitment that went into each proposal. The overwhelming response to this opportunity reflects the depth of work happening across our communities to end GBV. We are honored to collaborate with these trusted organizations and other county and communities partners to advance this vital work.
The following organizations will lead innovative efforts across four strategic focus areas:
Healthy Relationships Education & Training
Alma Family Services (Supervisorial District 1)
$200,000
Inner City Visions (Supervisorial District 2)
$174,555
Haven Hills (Supervisorial District 3)
$119,047
Interval House (Supervisorial District 4)
$200,000
Child & Family Center (Supervisorial District 5)
$200,000
Engaging Men & Boys
Jail Guitar Doors
$199,993
The Prism Way
$173,837
LGBTQ+ Youth Leaders
Latino Equality Alliance
$165,883
Men's Health Foundation
$145,240
Minority AIDS Project
$164,922
Economic Empowerment for Women & Girls
Maternal & Child Health Access
$112,167
Sanctuary of Hope
$99,501
June is recognized as Gun Violence Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the devastating toll of gun violence, advocating for policies that can help reduce gun violence and supporting those directly impacted. Gun violence is a public health crisis that affects individuals, families and entire communities. Each day in the United States, an average of 125 people are killed by guns, and more than 200 are shot and wounded.1 Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S.2
The Wear Orange movement was inspired by the tragic death of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed in Chicago in 2013 just one week after participating in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. On June 7, 2025, communities across the country will recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Day, also known as #WearOrange Day. Orange is the color hunters wear to protect themselves, and it now serves as a national symbol for the gun violence prevention movement.
While firearm deaths to Los Angeles County residents have declined over the past two years, the impact remains staggering. In 2023, there were:
819 firearm-related deaths3
2,299 emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations for firearm injuries4
An estimated $9 billion in economic costs from firearm homicides and hospitalized assaults, including both direct (medical care, law enforcement) and indirect (loss of life, productivity) costs5
The County Board of Supervisors has uplifted the vital importance of gun safety and its role in keeping our communities safer. This month, the Board unanimously proclaimed:
June 2025 as Gun Violence Awareness Month
June 6, 2025 as Gun Violence Awareness Day
June 6 – 8, 2025 as Wear Orange Weekend
This proclamation underscores the County’s commitment to supporting survivors, and advocating for sensible gun policy at the local, state and federal level.
The Los Angeles County Office of Violence Prevention released the 40-point Gun Violence Prevention Platform in June 2022, following horrific mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, and significant increases in firearm injuries and deaths in LA County including a mass shooting in Monterey Park on January 21, 2023. The plan was developed by a diverse group of mental health professionals, emergency room physicians, community and faith leaders, educators, survivors and public health practitioners with the mission to ensure that communities in LA County are safe and free from death, injury and trauma caused by gun violence. The Platform, which is accessible on the OVP website provides community organizations, local governments, faith-based groups, parent associations, business leaders, and others with a blueprint on how to build safer communities. Key components of OVP’s current efforts include:
Secure firearm storage plays a critical role in preventing firearm injuries and deaths. In 2025, OVP is committed to distributing more than 60,000 free cable gun locks, no questions asked. Nearly 30,000-gun locks have already been distributed countywide to reduce accidental shootings, suicide risk, and firearm theft.
OVP has partnered with the Department of Mental Heath’s Military and Veterans Affairs division to establish a new firearm safety lock distribution point specifically for veterans. Data shows that veterans are particularly vulnerable to gun violence. Veterans in California have the highest rates of gun ownership among the state’s residents. Gun-owning veterans had the least gun-safe environment, with 13.9% having a firearm at home loaded and unlocked. The figure is double that for gun-owning non-veteran adults in California.6 In 2022, 570 veterans in California died by suicide, with 65% involving a firearm.7
OVP provides education on Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs), one of several legal tools that temporarily removes firearms from individuals at risk of harming themselves or others. GVROS are an important prevention strategy and have been the focus of OVP trainings and outreach at community events across the County.
Gun violence is preventable, and we all have a role to play. Here’s how you can help:
Advocate for federal gun safety legislation including the reinstatement of the federal ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines and a federal law mandating universal background checks for all gun sales.
Practice and promote safe gun storage: Ask your friends and family: Are there unlocked guns in the home? Keep guns safely stored and keep ammunition locked separately. Know the facts about firearm safety and become a community voice against gun violence.
Normalize mental health conversations. Encourage friends and family to seek help when they are in crisis and provide resources to support their emotional well-being.
Sources
1. Everytown for Gun Safety. Gun Violence in America. 2. Villarreal, S., Kim, R., Wagner, E., Somayaji, N., Davis, A., & Crifasi, C. K. (2024). Gun Violence in the United States 2022: Examining the Burden Among Children and Teens. Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 3. Los Angeles County Annual 2023 Data File, assembled from California Department of Public Health Vital Records Data. Office of Health Assessment & Epidemiology, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. 4. California Department of Public Health. EpiCenter California Injury Data Online. Accessed 5/15/2025. 5. Everytown for Gun Safety’s Cost Calculator, using estimated costs for California; accessed 5/5/2025. 6. Banawa R, Tan S. 2022. Despite California’s Strong Gun Safety Laws and Regulations, Issues of Gun Safety and Fears of Gun Violence Remain. Fact Sheet. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. 7. California Department of Public Health Office of Suicide Prevention. Injury Data Brief: Suicide Deaths Among Veterans in California, 2022.
OVP is Distributing 60,000 Gun Locks; Free, No Questions Asked
On Tuesday, April 2, the Department of Public Health’s Office of Violence Prevention publicly launched an initiative to help prevent the devastating impact of gun violence including the tragedy of unintentional shootings – which disproportionately affect children – and gun suicides. As part of the initiative, OVP will be distributing 60,000 gun locks; free, no questions asked.
The locks, educational materials and community resources are available through this Gun Lock Request Form and six County medical facilities: Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, High Desert Regional Health Center, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center, Olive View – UCLA Medical Center, and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center.
“Far too many families have experienced the terrible pain of losing a child or teen-ager to gun violence,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of the Department of Public Health. “In a number of these cases, the simple act of locking and safely storing firearms would have prevented a tragedy.”
Dr. Ferrer was joined by several speakers at Rancho Los Amigos for the official, public kickoff of the gun lock distribution program, including Dr. Shannon Thyne, Director of Pediatrics for the L.A. County Department of Health Services, and two survivors of gun violence.
A total of 13 gun safety and community organizations participated in a resource fair at Rancho Los Amigos following the end of the formal ceremony.
Distribution of gun locks is part of OVP’s comprehensive strategy to reduce gun violence in our communities, which includes developing the 40-point Gun Violence Prevention Platform, providing education about various restraining orders, supporting federal and state gun safety legislation, a school safety initiative, and partnering with health care providers on discussing safe storage with their patients.
Youth Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Office of Violence Prevention has released a new report, “Youth Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Los Angeles County,” which highlights suicide and suicide attempt data among Los Angeles County youth ages 10-24 between 2016 and 2020. The report includes general demographics, methods most frequently used, and suicide trends during the five-year period. The report also briefly overviews reported suicides and attempts during 2020, with the acknowledgment that there is still much more to understand about this unprecedented time. The report concludes with links to prevention resources that reduce stigma and normalize mental health as an integral component of health and wellbeing. Click here to view the report.
OVP supports the County’s LA vs. Hate Initiative led by the Human Relations Commission in collaboration with community partners. LA vs Hate is a community-centered creative campaign to encourage and support all residents of Los Angeles County to unite against, report, and resist hate.
If you are the victim, or witness of, a hate incident or hate crime you can report the incident/crime with 211 LA. Your report is confidential and 211 is not affiliated with law enforcement.
After extensive review and input, the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) Early Implementation Strategic Plan was adopted by the County Leadership Committee and Community Partnership Council in September 2020. Read more about OVP Early Implementation Strategic Plan here.
The OVP Strategic Plan is a live document and we welcome your ongoing feedback, specifically as it pertains to our priorities, goals, objectives and strategies. Please provide your input by sending an email to ovp@ph.lacounty.gov or email Andrea Welsing, OVP Director, directly at awelsing@ph.lacounty.gov. We hope you will provide your thoughts, comments and recommendations for the Strategic Plan and that you will continue to be part of our violence prevention and healing efforts as we work together to advance strategies to prevent violence and promote healing.
