Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has unveiled a new gun violence reduction plan that would move more than $5 million in community violence intervention contracts into the city’s emergency response system while expanding youth programs, police patrols, mental health resources and investments in neighborhoods including Rainier Beach.
The plan calls for the Community Assisted Response and Engagement Department, known as CARE, to lead the city’s gun violence reduction efforts, bringing community-based violence intervention providers into closer coordination with 911 dispatchers, police, firefighters and other emergency responders. Wilson’s proposed 2027 budget would transfer more than $5 million annually in violence intervention contracts involving nine community organizations from the Human Services Department to CARE.
“Seattle will not accept gun violence as inevitable, and neither will I,” said Wilson. “We have a responsibility to make sure that communities in this city feel safe, and today I am acting on that responsibility with a coordinated, data-driven plan that brings every tool we have to bear on this problem. We are acting together, and we are acting now to respond to gun violence and prevent it before it happens.”
Councilmember Maritza Rivera, who represents District 4, criticized the plan following its release, saying it relies heavily on investments and programs already in place under previous city administrations and councils.
“I’m not seeing anything new here. And I’m certainly not seeing a plan for focused deterrence. Let’s be clear, the mayor is getting pushback from activists who oppose any police involvement, but we know that making meaningful progress on public safety requires working with law enforcement,” said Rivera.
Rivera has been advocating for Seattle to work with the National Network for Safe Communities, or NNSC, on a focused-deterrence strategy that combines community involvement, social services and law enforcement while concentrating resources on people believed to be responsible for a significant share of gun violence.
“For almost a year I have been working to bring a proven, evidence-based, successful strategy for reducing gun violence to Seattle,” said Rivera. “The National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) has significantly reduced gun violence in other cities using their focused deterrence model which centers in on the small number of people responsible for more than half of the gun violence.”
Wilson’s plan does call for a focused-deterrence approach involving CARE, police, community organizations and neighborhood leaders. Under the administration’s proposal, community organizations would offer services and alternatives to violence to people identified as being at high risk of involvement in gun violence, while law enforcement would pursue legal consequences when violence occurs.
Rivera, however, is calling specifically for the city to work with NNSC, arguing that proper training and oversight are necessary when implementing the strategy.
“We need meaningful action in this city, and Seattle can’t afford to wait any longer,” noted Rivera.
The community violence intervention programs moving to CARE provide conflict mediation and outreach, services in neighborhoods affected by shootings and along school routes, assistance following violent incidents, and support for gunshot victims and their families in partnership with Harborview Medical Center. A director of gun violence reduction and a coordinator would oversee and support the work at CARE.
The Seattle Police Department would remain a significant part of the strategy. SPD is increasing bicycle patrols in Rainier Beach, Belltown, Little Saigon and North Aurora. The department’s Narcotics Unit is also working with gun violence teams, while Wilson’s proposed 2027-28 budget would continue funding expansion of the police force. According to the city’s materials, SPD is on track to hire more than 140 officers in 2026.
Beyond emergency response and law enforcement, Wilson’s plan calls for continued and expanded investment in young people and families.
The Human Services Department will continue investing more than $8 million in violence-prevention programs serving children, teens and families, including case management, housing assistance, employment and training resources, mental health services and school-based programs.
Rainier Beach would receive additional resources under the plan. More than $600,000 would be invested in a new after-school program at Rainier Beach High School and expanded peer mentorship opportunities for teens at Rainier Beach Community Center.
The city would also continue Teen Late Night programming at nine locations citywide. Seattle residents ages 13 to 24 have access to virtual mental health resources at no cost, according to the city’s plan, while five additional school-based health centers are scheduled to open this year in Seattle Public Schools.
Another component focuses on removing firearms from people the city believes present a significant risk to others. Seattle is hiring an attorney in City Attorney Erika Evans’ office dedicated to filing civil Extreme Risk Protection Order petitions.
“The City Attorney’s Office will have a dedicated attorney focused on taking guns out of the hands of dangerous people through Extreme Risk Protection Orders. This is one piece in a much larger puzzle, from offering fulfilling youth engagement opportunities to seeking strong measures of accountability,” said Evans. “We are thankful for the dedicated focus of everyone working toward building a brighter future free from gun violence.”
The plan also calls for partnerships with the University of Washington’s Center for Firearm Injury Prevention and the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions to evaluate Seattle’s prevention efforts and identify potential gaps.
Seattle would establish its first Violence Reduction Council in collaboration with Johns Hopkins, bringing together professionals from public health, social services and the criminal legal system to review homicides, identify possible missed opportunities for intervention and recommend changes.
Wilson’s plan also calls for working with state lawmakers on firearm-related legislation, including community-led violence prevention programs, possible restrictions on firearms in certain public spaces and continued discussions about juvenile firearm possession and sentencing laws.
Several major elements of the plan are tied to funding in Wilson’s proposed 2027-28 budget, while other portions build on programs and investments already underway.
King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion emphasized the importance of collaboration and determining whether intervention programs produce results.
“Reducing gun violence is a team effort that requires the partnership of police, prosecutors, elected officials and community leaders. King County prosecutors have worked hard to reduce gun violence by holding accountable those causing harm in our communities. We also recognize the value of effective interventions designed to get guns out of the hands of juveniles and others before they become victims or perpetrators of harm,” said Manion. “I appreciate the City and CARE’s commitment and focus on this critical priority. Implementing effective interventions includes data-based decisions and effective monitoring and evaluation to make sure programs are getting results. There is encouraging data from similar programs in other cities showing reduced gun violence, and we need the program in Seattle to be equally effective.”
