Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Many of Buffalo's anti-violence community outreach organizations, who work together to provide services for families of gun violence and youth prevention and education, stood with Buffalo Common Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart on Monday to show their support for her plans to establish a city Office for Gun Violence Prevention.
Over the last several weeks in the City of Buffalo, Councilwoman Everhart notes there has been, at least, one serious gun violence offense, which is why she believes it is crucial, now more than ever, for city government to officially work with community organizations to provide adequate services to families of victims, and target proper funding to support families and organizations for optimal effectiveness in curbing the gun violence epidemic.
"Gun violence isn't always a criminal justice issue. We can't just put it on the backs of law enforcement, we have to make it a social issue, because it is a social issue," said Everhart on Monday.
"This office is going to perform not with police officers, these are going to be people from the community, who know the community, who can operate in the community, who the community trusts. You need those in-betweens, just like the Peacemakers operate out in our community, they're the go-between between police officers and residents. That's exactly how this office is going to function."
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Buffalo Peacemakers leader Pastor James Giles notes there isn't enough resources out there for the work the Peacemakers do on a regular basis, which is why he is in favor of an office like this.
"The organizations don't have the resources to take care of some of the problems that erupt from their loved one losing their life. We need an office dedicated to this, so we strongly support having this office located here in the City of Buffalo," said Pastor Giles.
"Somebody has to lean into the magnificent number of problems that have been created, because it's not just a loss that they're suffering with, it's how to deal with it after. Who's going to do the funeral? How are they going to have the money? Most of our young people that are getting shot, none of them have insurance, none of them. We have to have an office dedicated to resolving that problem."
"When we talk about gun violence at the Buffalo Center for Health Equity, we frame it in the context of a public health crisis. This is so important because it takes the onus of it only being seen as a criminal justice issue. This is a public health issue because it costs about 50,000 lives every year, people are dying of gun violence," added Pastor George Nichols, CEO of Buffalo Center for Health Equity.
Nichols also notes that presence of guns escalate domestic violence situations and suicides.
Pastor Giles says violence can't be legislated away, but Murray Holman from the Stop the Violence Coalition notes the government needs to take a proactive approach in addressing the serious issues of kids getting easy access to illegal guns.
"Right now, summer youth program just started through the help of the Common Council, City of Buffalo. And so now we're in another phase of trying to educate our youth not to pick up a gun, there need to be more organizations standing behind me now, and more out there to talk to the youth, talk to the families and put accountability on some of those parents out there that's allowing children to carry guns," said Hollman. "Guns come across from state lines into our community and affect our community, we have to be tougher on gun laws."
Everhart, whose son was shot and injured during the racially motivated mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue on May 14, 2022, notes this office will act as a resource for the organizations by having designated employees in Buffalo City Hall not only tasked with finding the right organizations for victims and their families, but have them target state and federal grants to have proper resources available for the community organizations.
"We need more offices like this across the country. Offices like this are already established across the country because of what happened on 5/14. We don't have one, which is ridiculous," Everhart said. "This isn't about law enforcement, this office is about making sure that if someone is shot on the street, their mother can get counseling, so she's not stressed out and not sleeping in the middle of the night. I know what that feels like. That's what this office is for."
In a statement, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said:
"I look forward to working with Councilmember Zeneta Everhart and the Common Council on establishing an Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the City of Buffalo. The work of my administration has contributed to a significant decrease in gun violence. Through the work of various City departments and community partnerships, shooting incidents are down 28%, shooting victims are down 32% and shooting homicides are down 58% in 2023 versus 2022.
"We are committed to doing more and we are always looking for additional ways to make our City safer and improve the quality of life. We have worked tirelessly on implementing law enforcement intervention strategies, including the Micro Hot Spot Crime Reduction Strategy, the GIVE (Gun Involved Violence Elimination) Program, hiring additional Community Police Officers, the Neighborhood Engagement Team and investment in technology.
"Additionally, we have studied best practices throughout the Country leading to our community intervention strategies such as the Save Our Streets Program, Clean Sweeps, record investments in Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, funding Peacemakers, funding the Police Athletic League, funding the Jordan Nwora Elite Basketball Camp and funding eight crime prevention organizations through the City’s Neil Dobbins Restorative Justice Fund among other initiatives."
Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart will have to get approval from the Buffalo Common Council before she can establish the office.