Today the City Council approved a supplement to our 2013 budget that includes two innovative measures I proposed to increase gun safety and reduce violence in Seattle:
(1) A one-time investment of $153,000 to University of Washington’s Harborview Medical Center for dynamic, new research that will lead to gun safety measures. According to NBC news, the City of Seattle will be the first city in the nation to provide direct funding for basic research into the causes and effects of gun violence.
(2) A one-time investment of $217,000 to Seattle-King County Public Health to implement an Enhanced Mental Health Emergency Management and Response system.
Gun violence is a public health crisis and this funding package enables Seattle to take positive action now. By jump-starting research blocked for so long by the NRA and by building the same emergency response system used by the Red Cross, we will increase public safety in Seattle.