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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Mayor targets gun violence; urges state action
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
5/2/2006 10:00:00 AM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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Mayor targets gun violence; urges state action
Nickels to Olympia: Give us the tools to stop gun violence in our communities
SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels today called on state leaders to pass common-sense
gun laws to help keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and give cities
more tools to protect neighborhoods from gun violence.
Nickels urged lawmakers in Olympia to ban assault weapons, close the gun show
loophole that allows criminals to buy weapons without background checks, and
require trigger locks and safe storage of firearms.
“When it comes to keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, Washington
has some of the weakest laws in the country, and that must change,” Nickels
said. “Cities are dealing with the heavy toll of gun violence and we
need help at the state level to keep our neighborhoods safe. Too many people
have lost their lives already.”
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence gave Washington state a D+ for
its efforts to shield families from gun violence. State law preempts local
communities from passing stricter gun regulations, leaving cities few options
for curbing criminal access to guns on a local level.
Although Seattle remains one of the safest major cities in America, guns have
been involved in far too many crimes in the city. Like other major cities,
Seattle is dealing with an increase in gun crime.
Seattle police report aggravated assaults with a firearm rose 25 percent in
2005. That trend continues. So far in 2006, assaults with a firearm are up
76 percent compared to the same period in 2004. Firearms were used in 56 percent
of Seattle’s 25 murders last year. In recent weeks, gun fire has claimed
the lives of 10 people and injured others.
“No one knows more than Seattle police officers the terrible price we
all pay for not having reasonable and common-sense gun laws in this state,” said
Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske. “This is about addressing the volume of
guns on our streets and the ease criminals have in arming themselves.”
Seven states have passed full or partial assault weapons bans, including California,
New York and Hawaii. Seattle police seized more than 140 of these military-style
weapons over the past five years. They were used in 37 violent crimes, 11 drug
crimes, 14 parole violations and 25 cases of unlawful possession.
“There is no logical reason to allow criminals access to this kind of
firepower,” Nickels said. “We need a tough ban on assault weapons
to get them off our streets.”
Nationwide, 18 states have closed the gun show loophole, which allows anyone
- including a convicted felon - to buy a weapon without a background check.
According to a study by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, gun shows
are a significant source of illegally trafficked guns, supplying as much as
30 percent of all guns sold in violation of federal law. There were 42 gun
shows in Washington last year, including 22 in the Puget Sound area.
Passing a requirement for trigger locks and safe storage would help prevent
the theft of guns from homes and reduce the chance of accidental shootings,
especially among children.
Nickels recently returned from a summit on gun crime hosted by New York Mayor
Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Mayors from 15 cities attended
the event and pledged to work together to fight illegal gun trafficking and
to raise the awareness of federal lawmakers about the effects of gun crime
in urban areas (see attached).
Seattle has been recognized nationally for its efforts to identify the traffickers
and “straw” purchasers who supply many of the weapons used in crimes.
The city has taken the lead in working with other law enforcement agencies
to develop a database that will assist police in identifying the sources of
guns used in crimes, known as “gun-trace data.” The information
will be used to ensure that all licensed gun dealers in the region are playing
by the rules and following federal, state and local firearm regulations.
The mayor called on Governor Christine Gregoire to join with Seattle and begin
collecting gun-trace data on a statewide level.
Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s
inside view on efforts to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity
and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm
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Office of the Mayor
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