Mayor Urges Action to Prevent Gun Violence

SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels today called again 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.

“With guns, it only takes a moment to take a life,” Nickels said. “When it comes to stopping the flow of illegal guns on our streets, we don’t have a moment to lose.”

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 19 percent through November 2006 and were up 48 percent compared to the same period in 2004. Firearms were used in 22 of Seattle’s 31 murders through October of last year.

“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 in 2005, 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.

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.

Nickels is a founding member of Mayors Against Gun Violence, an organization that now includes 123 mayors nationwide. This month the mayors will convene in Washington D.C. to urge the new Congress to defeat a series of gun bills that would protect criminals by making it harder for ATF and law enforcement agencies to share information on gun crimes.