SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Mayor Van Johnson is calling for gun policy, saying more than 180 mayors from across the country are working against a partisan “gridlock” in the nation’s capital.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Johnson explained how mayors from around the U.S. met in Washington D.C. to discuss policy and to offer support for gun legislation they say “makes sense.”

“When we talk about schools, when we talk about churches, when we talk about doctors officers, when we talk about courtrooms; places that were deemed at one point to be safe: the fact is that we know these places are being victimized across the country,” Johnson said.

According to the CDC, 110 Americans are killed by guns every day in the U.S.

“Mayors from across the country again call for Congress to act quickly and decisively requiring universal background checks, holding gun dealers accountable who knowingly sell to straw purchasers, banning the manufacture sale and possession of all 3D printed ghost guns, and providing local government and law enforcement officials access to ATF gun tracing data,” Johnson said.

He also added support for policies that would raise the legal age to purchase a gun to 21 and others that would implement red flag laws to prevent people with mental illness from buying firearms.

“Currently about 21% of our officers down, in terms of vacancies and we are in a talent war with not just other cities in the region but cities across the country,” Johnson explained desiring a law enforcement staffing shortage impacting cities in the U.S. He said some were paralyzed from not having enough officers to address violent crimes.

Johnson said they plan to fill the officer vacancies in Savannah with individuals who will connect with the community –– adding their plans to create a citizen’s oversight committee to get neighbors involved in making solutions.

“We want to make better use of data to make sure that the city is transparent. We’re not going to hide. We’re not going to run away from what our issues are, and we want to make sure that the data is reliable and that it’s tangible and that people can see it in context,” Johnson added.

Savannah leaders are working to keep young people engaged this summer with free programs focused on education en entrepreneurial development. The mayor said he hoped this would help keep them out of trouble.