Mayor Harrell Hosts Second Public Safety Forum Focused on Combating Gun Violence
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell addresses community members at Garfield High School's Gym during his second forum on community safety (Photo - City of Seattle)
By Lorcan Stokes
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell convened a second public safety forum on Tuesday, April 30, to address gun violence and explore comprehensive solutions to community safety concerns. Held at Garfield High School's gymnasium, the event brought representatives from 14 city departments, offering citizens an interactive opportunity to discuss public safety and related concerns directly with officials.
"The purpose of this forum is to listen, and we have put resources around you because we realize some of our best answers come from impacted communities, and you are indeed impacted," Harrell said. "So we come with a spirit of humility and listening on what we can do better. That's why we are here."
Part of a five-forum series that fosters dialogue and collaboration with neighborhood residents on critical public safety issues, feedback from these engagements will be used in shaping Harrell's forthcoming One Seattle Safety Framework, a six-strategy blueprint to enhance public safety across the city.
"I ran on a public safety platform. I take public safety very seriously. I will do everything within my power," Harrell said. "I have an $8 billion budget. I have 14,000 employees. I'll do everything within my power to protect you, and I'm not afraid of anyone or anything to do that."
Representatives from 14 city departments, including the newly established CARE team, engaged in dialogue with Seattle residents, answering questions and listening to concerns about safety (Photo - City of Seattle)
At the forum, attendees had the opportunity to voice their concerns and advocate for changes they would like to see within their community. Alicia Spanswick, co-president of Garfield High School's PTSA board, reflected on the forum after its conclusion.
"I want to reserve judgment on whether or not any change will come from it, but I think opening the dialogue is always the first step. In that respect, I do think it was a success," Spanswick said.
While expressing cautious optimism, she did emphasize the value of engaging directly with representatives from various city departments.
"Hearing from and talking to individuals at the ground level, in the city departments that I did speak to, I started to feel a little bit more like, Okay, so there's buy-in from these other organizations," Spanswick said. "There are people who really care about the work that they're doing, about the communities, and about making the community safer."
Spanswick found the CARE primary response team, one of the departments present, particularly intriguing. This new initiative comprises behavioral health specialists who can offer support and resources to individuals in crisis in 9-1-1 calls that don't require the immediate involvement of local law enforcement or medical services.
"We need to get creative and think differently because we've been doing what other cities have done, and it doesn't seem effective, certainly not long term," Spanswick said. "What are some of these other approaches?"
Attendee voices concerns regarding community safety. (Photo - City of Seattle)
The forum follows recent incidents involving gun violence in the neighborhood, including a drive-by shooting outside Garfield High School that left a 17-year-old student injured, as well as another incident where a woman lost her life in a shooting. Both of these events occurred in March. Harrell underscored the gravity of the situation, emphasizing the uptick in 911 calls from the community this year.
"Unfortunately, in this neighborhood, 911 calls have increased 13%," Harrell said. "That means we've had more than 13,000 911 calls in this neighborhood so far this year."
District Three's Seattle City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth was also in attendance. She emphasized her office's focus on prioritizing public safety.
"That is our number one priority in our office. We understand it. We are here with a sense of urgency. For the first 100 days, I have been understanding what resources are available," Hollingsworth said.
She continued, "I'm really happy that there are 14 city departments here because there are resources available at the city, and I'm asking District Three to give me some grace and a little bit of patience as we are reconnecting our District to the city services and neighborhood services."
The next forum is scheduled to take place at the Rainier Beach Community Center on May 7. Citizens who wish to attend can sign up here.
