Violence is a major public health problem. In the United States, seven people per hour die in a violent way, such as homicide or suicide. There is a major economic impact (healthcare costs, lost work, and costs to the criminal justice system) in addition to the emotional toll on victims' families and communities.
Nebraska Violent Death Reporting System (NeVDRS) is part of a nationwide Violent Death Reporting System. It includes over 600 different data elements that provide context about violent deaths, such as:
- Relationship problems
- Mental health problems and treatment
- Toxicology results, and
- Life stressors.
NeVDRS links information about “who, when where, and how" from data on violent deaths and provides insights about “why" they occurred. NeVDRS data are pooled into one anonymous database from multiple sources including:
- Death certificates
- Law enforcement reports, and
- Coroner reports
NeVDRS began in 2017 with nine pilot counties and expanded to all counties in 2018. The goal is to have timely, complete information on all violent deaths that happen in Nebraska to inform and enhance prevention efforts across the state.