Statement from Renée Hopkins, CEO of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility:

“Domestic violence and other crisis situations can quickly escalate, and are much more likely to turn deadly if a firearm is readily accessible. Laws that keep guns from abusers have proven effective in saving the lives of women and children, but to work they must be implemented and enforced. We applaud Executive Constantine for requesting additional funding to hire new staff who are critical to facilitating the surrender of firearms. These new positions will help save lives in King County.

The intersection of gun violence and domestic violence is real. Data shows that women are five times more likely to be killed by an abuser if he owns a gun and domestic violence is often a contributing factor or warning sign in mass shootings. In 57 percent of mass shootings (defined as four or more people shot in the course of a single incident), a romantic partner or family member was among the victims.

That’s why it’s critical to effectively implement laws that help remove guns from dangerous hands, including abusers. Executive Constantine has been a champion of gun violence prevention efforts since his 2013 directive for the King County government to take a public health approach to gun violence, issuing in a new era of holistic, data driven policy. Funding for these critical positions is an extension of that commitment and a necessary step to ensure protection orders are delivered and enforced in a timely fashion and according to the law.

We are fortunate in King County to have champions for gun violence prevention at every level of government, including King County Prosecuting Attorney, Dan Satterberg. Likewise, Seattle City Attorney Peter Holmes and Seattle City Council Members Tim Burgess, Lorena Gonzalez and Sally Bagshaw have been instrumental in securing initial city positions and ensuring the City of Seattle’s commitment to this life-saving work continues.”

 

For additional information about these positions, please see the announcement from the King County Executive’s office, here.