Former Law Enforcement Officer Chris Carita joins 97Percent

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 3, 2024): 97Percent is pleased to announce that Christopher Carita has joined the organization and will serve as Law Enforcement Advisor. Carita is a veteran detective based in South Florida, where he specialized in investigating threats of mass gun violence and implementation of Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) programs. With 19 years of law enforcement experience, including his role as a hostage/crisis negotiator, Carita is a recognized expert in violence prevention and behavioral threat assessment.

Carita earned a Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellow, focusing on violence prevention. He has designed, implemented, and delivered ERPO training to law enforcement agencies across the country, setting a standard for public safety initiatives. Additionally, Carita leads interdisciplinary teams to foster collaboration and collective efficacy in mitigating workplace violence threats in public and private organizations.

“I am excited to join 97Percent and contribute to its mission of including gun owners’ concerns and finding consensus in reducing gun deaths across our country,” said Carita. “My career has been dedicated to public safety and upholding the Constitutional rights of those I was sworn to protect. I believe that by working together, we can implement effective solutions that protect our communities while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners.”

“Christopher’s deep expertise and hands-on experience with Extreme Risk Protection Orders and violence prevention as a former law enforcement officer will be invaluable for our organization,” said Olivia Troye, Executive Director of 97Percent. “We look forward to achieving new milestones with Chris’ guidance and support.”

About 97Percent

97Percent’s mission is to reduce gun deaths by including gun owners in the solutions. We believe the key to doing so is to bring gun owners to the table, conduct research, and leverage technology to address issues we all agree upon that will make our communities safer.

Our name was inspired by a 2018 Quinnipiac University poll, which found that 97% of Americans support universal background checks: a critical gun safety policy that has yet to be made into federal law. While individual polls vary, support levels hover around 90%—a figure that represents unprecedented agreement on a topic viewed as intractable. We are committed to making progress on solutions that non-gun owners and gun owners want to make our country safer. For more information, please visit www.97percent.us.

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Media Contact:
Molly Smith
molly@97percent.us

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