SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson unveiled a detailed plan to combat gun violence today, while the Seattle City Council passed a separate resolution hoping to establish or add its own reduction strategy.
Mayor Wilson’s proposal allocates $5 million to fund community violence intervention groups that will partner with the city and respond to 911 calls.
The plan also includes expanded police bike patrols in high-activity areas—including Belltown, Rainier Beach, Little Saigon and along Aurora Avenue—alongside increased funding for after-school and late-night youth programs.
The council approved a resolution advocating for a strategy that would: “implement an evidence-based, comprehensive gun violence reduction strategy that includes partnering with national experts who have helped other cities significantly reduce gun violence, such as the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) at John Jay College,” according to the city council agenda for Tuesday afternoon.
Councilmember Maritza Rivera told KIRO 7 that the strategy is known as focused deterrence.
According to the National Institute of Justice, focused deterrence combines targeted law enforcement with social services and community support to stop violence.
Rivera spoke in support of the council resolution, framing it as a vital addition to existing public safety initiatives.
“We have to do something and take serious action, not another study and not doing more of the same,” Rivera said. “Our public safety investments are important. I am not trying to say they’re not; this is additive. It’s a new approach.”
Rivera highlighted ongoing public safety concerns across Seattle neighborhoods while urging immediate action.
“It’s important for us to find real solutions to gun violence. Folks are dying, people are losing their children, we’ve got young women trafficked on Aurora,” Rivera said.
Surveillance cameras were not mentioned in Mayor Wilson’s proposal, but several people who spoke during the council’s public comment period were quick to denounce their use.
Many said they are not effective tools and cannot prevent criminal activity. Some speakers advocated for money to be shifted away from camera programs and toward true prevention efforts. The issue of cameras used to help solve or prevent crimes has been prominent in Seattle lately.
KIRO 7 has heard from community members, city leaders, and some business leaders and crime victims who said the cameras should be used in high-crime areas.
The mayor’s office declined an interview request about the plan and the City Council resolution, saying Wilson had no more time for the media today.
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