For Immediate Release 
September 15, 2026 

FROM THE OFFICE OF: Councilmember Maritza Rivera 

CONTACT: Wendy Sykes, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Rivera 
206-491-8125 or wendy.sykes@seattle.gov 

SEATTLE – Today, Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) said she was underwhelmed by the mayor’s new gun violence plan which was released earlier today. The plan continues already existing investments brought by prior administrations and councils. Councilmember Rivera is not alone in her frustration. Over the last few months, calls for meaningful action from the City have escalated by residents and stakeholders.  

“I’m not seeing anything new here. And I’m certainly not seeing a plan for focused deterrence. Let’s be clear, the mayor is getting pushback from activists who oppose any police involvement, but we know that making meaningful progress on public safety requires working with law enforcement,” said Councilmember Rivera.

“For almost a year I have been working to bring a proven, evidence-based, successful strategy for reducing gun violence to Seattle. The National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) has significantly reduced gun violence in other cities using their focused deterrence model which centers in on the small number of people responsible for more than half of the gun violence. The architect of focused deterrence founded NNSC to help cities implement the effort. And while NNSC’s efforts have been shown to be incredibly successful when implemented with fidelity, in their two decades of experience, the NNSC has found that without proper training and oversight, an ill-conceived attempt can cause harm and increase mistrust in governmental institutions. That is why it is imperative to work with NNSC to ensure we get it right. Their strategy involves trusted community voices, social services and community-based agencies and law enforcement to create an all-hands-on-deck approach, which — as our auditor has pointed out — has been missing for more than a decade.  

“We need meaningful action in this city, and Seattle can’t afford to wait any longer,” noted Councilmember Rivera. 

About the City Council
The Seattle City Council is the elected legislative branch of the city’s government. It’s comprised of nine councilmembers serving four-year terms and representing 800,000 constituents — seven selected by districts and two through citywide positions. For the latest news and information, please visit seattle.gov/council.