Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - An initiative close to the heart of one city lawmaker is now officially up-and-going at Buffalo City Hall.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, along with other city officials, joined Masten District Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart on Monday in front of the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue in East Buffalo to formally announce the establishment of the city's Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
"Unfortunately, no city in America, no community in America is immune to gun violence. The work and research that has gone into the creation of this office, it is our intent that this will help to reduce gun violence in our community. And when gun violence occurs in our community, we will be able to provide the proper support to the surviving victims of gun violence and the family members of those who have experienced gun violence," said Mayor Brown during Monday's press conference.
This initiative is going to be an "all hands on deck" approach right away, with several different city agencies helping to provide the resources needed to create this office, and also reach out to those in the community who may need those resources if they or someone they know has become victim to gun violence.
"It's a bittersweet day, that's what I'll say. We're standing near Tops, where 10 people were shot and killed in our community, where three others were seriously injured, including my son, Zaire, who I just dropped off at work. He's working at Tops right now," said Councilwoman Everhart on Monday. "Creating this office is bigger than just a job or an office. It is about protecting our community. It is about protecting our community from mass shootings, but also everyday shootings. It's emotional for me."
Everhart says all of City Hall will be involved in this initiative from the start, along with the partnership with BestSelf Behavioral Services to provide counseling and trauma care for members of the community in association with the office.
"It's important that we make sure we're reaching out," Everhart said. "I don't know all of the things that can go into this office. I've done a whole lot of research, I've done research looking at different cities and states across the country, and finding out what they're doing in their neighborhoods. We're gonna need everyone in City Hall working on this for sure."
The office will be created through an executive order that Mayor Brown will be submitting to the city council before he leaves office later this week. Shortly after, Council President, and soon-to-be Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon will then reauthorize the executive order to continue the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
"You see different municipalities across the country taking on initiatives like this. You see the White House pushing things forward like this, and you see - as my colleague in government mentioned - data-driven policies, data-driven procedures that will affect communities in a positive way," said Scanlon on Monday. "I'm a father of three children living in the City of Buffalo, raising them in the city, we have parents up here with us. People who are proud to be in our communities want to see this gun violence come to an end, and I think by partnering with the wonderful partners we have here today, Office of Citizen Services and the tremendous work they do every day, we'll be able to put a fantastic team in place to do that research that is needed, pull in the resources that are needed, and then get those resources out on the street with our partners where they need to be."
Scanlon says this was the only initiative Councilwoman Everhart wanted to see enacted on when conversations surrounding the city budget started several months ago.
"I sat down with the Masten District Councilwoman and said, 'What do you want to see in the budget?' She said, 'I want an Office of Gun Violence Prevention.' So OK, what else do you want in the budget? She said, 'I want an Office of Gun Violence Prevention.' I said, 'I got you, but what else do you want?' She said, 'I want an Office of Gun Violence Prevention.' And we heard her loud and clear on the Council," Scanlon recalled. "We had conversations with Majority Leader [Leah] Halton-Pope and President Pro Tem Bryan Bollman, conversations with the mayor, and we said, 'Listen, we'll get that done this year. We will absolutely get that in place this year.' So I want to thank her for being the backbone of this and really pushing for this. Obviously, it's something that our community needs."
Over the last year, Everhart has been able to see the work that has gone into the U.S. Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and looks to bring the exact same resources to the City of Buffalo.
"In communities across the country, they are working on the grassroots level to do more work to prevent gun violence. Getting our youth involved, getting our violent interrupter groups involved. But it's also about research, and data collection and trainings. There are trainings available for our violence interrupter groups that can help them in the work that they're doing," Everhart noted. "We have so many amazing groups like that here in the City of Buffalo, but they need extra resources.
"This office is also about education for our youth, getting them involved in the conversation, because they are the ones that are being mostly impacted by it. It is absolutely important that Buffalo stands at the forefront of this. We have to let our residents know, we have to let our youth know that we hear them, we see them, and we want to protect them. That is what this office is about."
In the end, Everhart is hopeful this new Office of Gun Violence Prevention will help make the streets of Buffalo safer for everyone, especially the youth of the community.
"Gun violence is a crisis right now, and it is hurting people every single day. And the City of Buffalo has to let our residents know we are standing with them, we are standing beside them, and we're going to push for more change in our community," she said. "Thank you, Mayor, again, for making this happen for our city. This is not about me, this is not about Zaire. This is not about the 10 families whose lives were forever changed. This is about moving our country forward, and making a stand. We will no longer accept these actions in our community."
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