Three weeks after a mass shooting killed three people outside the Seattle Center Armory in Lower Queen Anne, the City Council has a formal resolution on the table committing Seattle to a national gun violence reduction strategy that its backers say has cut shootings 40–60% in other cities.
Councilmember Maritza Rivera introduced the resolution Monday, Aug. 17, declaring the council's intent to partner with the National Network for Safe Communities, a research center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. The NNSC's "focused deterrence" model targets the small number of people most likely to commit or become victims of gun violence, combining law enforcement, social services and what the organization calls "community moral voice."
"Focused deterrence is a model that has been recommended for Seattle for the last 10 years. It's time. Let's bring this approach to Seattle," Rivera said in a statement posted to the council's website.
What the resolution does and doesn't do
The resolution is a policy commitment, not a contract. Rivera's goal is a two-year consulting partnership with the NNSC costing roughly $417,000–$470,000, but that would require a separate council vote and dedicated funding. She plans to seek that money in the fall 2027–2028 budget process.
The strategy would add to existing community violence prevention work, not replace it.
City auditors have recommended focused deterrence for Seattle twice: a 2015 street outreach audit and a 2025 report titled "Four Recommendations to Better Understand and Address Current Gun Violence Patterns in Seattle." Rivera hosted a June 8 symposium, facilitated by the NNSC, that drew more than 75 city, county, state, federal and community leaders to discuss the approach.
District 7 context: Kettle and the budget fight
The July 26 Bite of Seattle shooting happened in District 7, represented by Councilmember Bob Kettle, who chairs the Public Safety Committee. At Rivera's June 8 symposium, Kettle called the event "an important step in the work of the Council and City Hall more broadly to bring key stakeholders and perspectives together in the fight against gun violence."
But the council has been divided over how to fund violence prevention. As we reported Aug. 11, Kettle threatened to vote against the entire mid-year supplemental budget if Council President Joy Hollingsworth's $250,000 amendment to fund community violence interruption ambassadors passed, because it would divert money from SPD's surveillance program.
Rivera's resolution sidesteps that fight by deferring the funding question to the fall budget. No on-record statement from Kettle specifically about the Aug. 17 resolution has been published. Mayor Katie Wilson's office has not commented on the resolution either; a spokesperson said Aug. 11 that the administration was engaged with council members on developing a "coordinated, sustainable approach."
What's next
Rivera's resolution lands on the council's Introduction and Referral Calendar at the Tuesday, Aug. 18, full council meeting at 2 p.m. It has not yet been scheduled for a Public Safety Committee hearing. The committee's next confirmed event is a Sept. 22 comprehensive briefing on the Bite of Seattle shooting response.
SPD data shows shootings and shots fired are down 20% year-to-date in 2026 compared to 2025.
City Hall week ahead: Aug. 18–22
- Tuesday, Aug. 18: Full City Council, 2 p.m., Council Chamber, City Hall, 600 4th Ave. Rivera's gun violence resolution expected on Introduction and Referral Calendar.
- Wednesday, Aug. 19: Land Use and Sustainability Committee, 9:30 a.m., Council Chamber, City Hall.
- Canceled: Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee (Tuesday, Aug. 18); Parks and City Light Committee (Wednesday, Aug. 19).
