Dear Ward 8 Residents, 

I have called our city leaders to see gun violence as a public health emergency for far too long. Last week, we saw those calls coming into action. 

We saw Mayor Muriel Bowser took action to address gun violence in our city. The Bowser Administration launched the Gun Violence Prevention Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as a part of a new comprehensive gun violence prevention program, Building Blocks DC.

The EOC seeks to deploy a whole-government, public health approach to mitigate gun violence, located right here in Ward 8. Mayor Bowser stated that Building Blocks DC will engage people most at-risk of becoming a victim or perpetrator of gun violence and focus initial efforts on working with individuals who:

• Have been repeatedly arrested for gun-related offenses;
• Are under active supervision by CSOSA or DYRS;
• Have been directly impacted by gun violence; and
• Have experienced the ripple effects of gun violence.

I look forward to supporting and implementing strategies that will protect the residents of Ward 8 and ultimately end the gun violence plaguing our city. 

Regards,



Trayon White, Sr.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Wednesday that the city has recognized its ongoing gun violence as “a public health crisis” in a new order, and that an emergency response center has been created to address the problem.

“Too many lives have been taken, too many families have been traumatized, and too many neighborhoods have been left broken. With Building Blocks DC, we are committing to reversing these trends, saving lives, and better supporting our residents and communities most impacted by gun violence,” Bowser said, noting that the issue requires a whole-government approach.

A total of $15 million will be invested into the Building Blocks DC program initially. There will also be additional funding in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget.

Read Full Article at DCPost.com