http://www.wsj.com/articles/doctor-to-run-new-gun-violence-research-center-in-california-1472667927
Doctor to Run New Gun-Violence Research Center in California
Garen Wintemute has been using his own money to fund efforts at the University of California, Davis
By ZUSHA ELINSON Aug. 31, 2016 2:25 p.m. ET
SAN FRANCISCO—A new gun-violence research center in California will be led by a doctor and researcher who has been using his own money to fund gun-violence research at the University of California, Davis.
Dr. Wintemute said he has supported gun-control policies that his research has found to be effective—for example, restricting firearms access for people who abuse alcohol.
He said that his research isn’t biased. “Our research gets us in trouble with advocates on both sides of the issue, which generally tells me we’re doing the right thing,” he said. When an effort was under way to close the gun-show loophole by requiring more background checks, his research showed that such a policy change was “a waste of time.” he said.
On the other hand, Dr. Wintemute’s research on a 1990s California law that prohibited those convicted of violent misdemeanors from owning guns showed a benefit: Those who were denied a gun under the law were less likely to be arrested for a new violent or gun crime than those who had purchased guns before the law went into effect.