Mayor Wilson and Seattle City Council Advance Separate Gun Violence Plans

Mayor Katie Wilson released her "new approach to reducing gun violence," which brings various city departments, social services, and community groups under the direction of the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department. The plan will seek to deter a small group of individuals from committing violent crimes and will increase police patrols in several neighborhoods, including Little Saigon and Rainier Beach. It will also provide $600,000 for services for youth and young adults, including for an after-school program at Rainier Beach High School.

Meanwhile, the Seattle City Council approved its own proposal, which recommends that Seattle contract with a college in New York City to develop a plan to curb gun violence. The plan, proposed by Councilmember Maritza Rivera, passed 7-0, with Councilmembers Dionne Foster and Alexis Mercedes Rinck abstaining.

Both plans rely on a strategy known as "focused deterrence," which, according to the nonpartisan research organization RAND, seeks to deter criminal behavior, such as gun violence. The strategy uses warnings and sanctions, including enhanced criminal penalties, and provides opportunities such as job training, after-school programs, and other social services.

But how the mayor's plan and the City Council's plan would implement focused deterrence differ.

1 Comments

velma@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 6d

In mid-August, Rivera released her own proposal to reduce gun violence in the city, a nonbinding resolution declaring the city's intent to consult with the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. The proposal was approved by the Public Safety Committee on Sept. 8.

On Sept. 15, hours after the mayor released her plan, the full council considered Rivera's proposal. "I'm trying to find real solutions to address gun violence in Seattle," Rivera said. "My hope is that we're sending a strong message to the mayor that we want … true focused deterrence."

Under Rivera's plan, NNSC would conduct a "lay of the land" in Seattle focused on the city's gun-violence response and provide an evaluation, though ultimately the city and various stakeholders would do the work.

What a fucking joke of a city council. Fuck Rivera. Wilson is actually implementing real action and Rivera thinks a nonbinding resolution to produce an evaluation is better?

We can do both without the city council actively working to undermine the mayor.