Photo: Ford, Brad
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has announced a new program to reduce gun violence and issues an emergency declaration to make it happen faster.
“We will continue to be persistent, agile, and responsive in our efforts and our investments. As we learn more and this issue continues to evolve, we will adapt and assess all potential paths forward,” said Mayor Ted Wheeler. “The public’s expectations are clear, and we’ve set our goals accordingly. We will not stop until the gun violence stops.”
Mayor Ted Wheeler outlined a two-year, evidence-based plan called Safer Summer PDX. This plan is specific and provides actionable goals to better coordinate existing resources and activates $2.4 million to near-term, community-based violence interventions. Safer Summer PDX focuses on providing positive options for those who are now engaged in gun crimes and creates options for them to step away from the life of violence. It complements the law-enforcement gun violence improvements that are already in place and showing results.
Safer Summer PDX is accompanied by a newly issued Emergency Declaration which unifies the city’s efforts to help address gun violence under a unified command structure led by Community Safety Division Transition Director, Mike Myers. The Emergency Declaration sets a goal to reduce Portland’s gun violence by at least 10 percent over the next two years and is guided by the findings and data provided by the California Partnerships for Safe Communities Portland Homicide Problem Analysis Report.