After deadly weekend of gun violence, Seattle City Council considers proposed ‘Group Violence Intervention’ partnership focused on community, services, and drug market crackdowns

A Seattle City Council proposal for support of a new gun violence intervention partnership being heard Tuesday morning will have added weight after a deadly weekend in Seattle.

CHS reported previously on the proposed resolution from City Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) committing Seattle to implement a gun violence intervention program in partnership with the National Network for Safe Communities research center.

The NNSC’s “Group Violence Intervention” model traces back to Boston’s Operation Ceasefire in the 1990s and has since been adapted across the country.

Under the proposal, the city council would commit its support to establishing a two-year partnership. Backers say cities like Oakland, New Orleans, and Baltimore have leveraged the framework by pairing targeted law enforcement against the small network of individuals driving the violence with dedicated social services, intensive outreach, and community-led moral pressure.

Cities in the program have also targeted disruptive street drug markets by cracking down on dealers, diverting nonviolent offenders to services, and closing the market permanently.

Rivera says the NNSC’s “focused deterrence” model has driven 40% to 60% reductions in gun violence across major cities like Baltimore, Boston, and Philadelphia. Rivera also says the Seattle initiative aligns with recommendations from city audits in 2015 and 2025 calling for improved data collection and targeted intervention frameworks.

Critics of the NNSC argue that deterrence programs rely too heavily on jail and the legal system, resulting in heightened surveillance and community crackdowns. They also contend that cities frequently fail to adequately fund the promised wraparound social services.

Under the resolution, Seattle would spend just under $420,000 on a two-year technical assistance and consulting contract. The downstream costs are also substantial including funding social services like emergency housing, treatment, and job stipends, staffing dedicated street outreach workers and case managers, and covering icreased law enforcement costs.

Rivera’s plan will come in front of the public safety committee Tuesday morning with one major proposed change. The council member has submitted an amendment that changes the language of the resolution from committing to the contract with the NNSC center to a softer resolution committing the council’s support for the city signing onto the partnership.

The summer proposal is moving toward a vote by the council after a particularly deadly weekend in the city. Early Sunday, a man was shot and killed, and three others were injured in a shooting at Denny and 4th Ave. Later, a woman was shot and killed near 3rd and Blanchard. Sunday night, a 17-year-old was shot and killed near Elliott and Bell. Meanwhile, police investigated bullet damage to vehicles after a burst of gunfire left no injuries Saturday night at 22nd and Jackson.

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