MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — A group in Monroe County hopes a new survey will help the county be proactive about firearms and safety.
Monroe County received a $50,000 grant last December from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to assess the community's needs and develop a plan to reduce gun violence.
More than 70 survey questions were developed by community members, health professionals, government leaders, and local law enforcement.
"The issues within the survey really are around community safety, community perceptions on policing, and these are issues that touch everyone and the same thing with mental health and gun violence," said Jennifer Strauch, the county grants manager. "We're really focusing on education and prevention of violence in our community. We're talking about perceptions; how do individuals perceive how safe our community is."
"The end game of this whole thing is for more gun safety and alleviate some violence in the very beginning before it becomes a problem in the end," said Tom Wilking of Pocono Gunkeepers.
The group hopes to collect about 400 survey responses. All responses are confidential.
The survey is open through December 15.