Everett Mayor To Address Gangs And Guns

In her first major policy move Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin plans to announce plans to combat gun violence in Everett. Here’s a preview of what the Mayor plans to announce later today…

Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin will issue a mayoral directive on Thursday, Jan. 11, to address Everett’s growing challenge of gang and youth violence, as well as firearm crimes.

“Our community has seen a significant increase in gang activity and gun-related crimes,” said Franklin. “This violence is especially devastating when it is committed by young people and against young people. Addressing this challenge is the top public safety priority of my administration.”

There were 198 gang-related offenses reported in Everett between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2017 – a 75 percent increase over 2016. In that same time period, there were 23 drive-by shootings and 67 shots-fired incidents within the city limits. Of the 80 individuals arrested by Everett Police for gang-related offenses between January and October, 84 percent were age 21 or younger.

Franklin’s directive outlines six initiatives that Everett Police and other City staff will pursue, in cooperation with community partners, to reduce youth, gang and gun violence in Everett. The initiatives include developing a gang prevention and intervention program, considering establishing a standalone gang response unit, and launching a firearm safety campaign. The directive provides timelines for each initiative.