King County proposes $1.4M budget amendment to curb gun violence after weekend shootings
King County officials have proposed new emergency budget amendments aimed at reducing gun violence following a series of shootings last week in the Central District, White Center and Pioneer Square that left four people dead and two others injured.
King County Executive Dow Constantine unveiled the "urgent" new budget proposal on Tuesday which includes $1.47 million in investments to address the increase in gun violence through "data-driven identification of the groups and neighborhoods at the highest risk of being involved in a shooting, increased community engagement, and increasing community staffing with employees to connect community members to services and support opportunities," according to the county.
Of that $1.47 million, $768,000 will go towards adding 10 additional violence interrupters, case managers and life coaches hired through community partners. An additional $100,000 will go to consultant firms who have previously studied gun violence in cities like Oakland.
"Stopping the gun violence our community witnessed last weekend in the Central District, White Center, and Pioneer Square requires more than just a criminal justice response — it requires the upstream, public health-based interventions we know can help unwind conflict and prevent future tragedies," Constantine said in a news release Tuesday.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/king-county-proposes-1-4m-budget-amendment-to-curb-gun-violence-after-weekend-shootings/ar-AAL55q9