Pamela Banks has finally struck a campaign blow in an election season that has mostly seen incumbent Kshama Sawant dominating. The candidate will look to build on that success Thursday with a push on public safety at a Central District park playground recently caught in the crossfire of ongoing gun violence.

UPDATE: Banks called for the City to hire ex-gang members to quell gun violence as the main part of her plan to address public safety concerns in the Central Area. The proposal would require hiring at least 12 “violence interrupters” to diffuse deadly confrontations, she said.

The program is modeled off one in Chicago and is a revival of sorts of a Seattle initiative that was disbanded in 2010, Banks said. Banks also called for more resources to be devoted to SPD’s community police teams — an issue Attorney General Loretta Lynch was due to speak about later in the day at a “community policing forum” in the Central District. That would likely involve hiring more officers, Banks said.

During the media conference at Powell Barnett Park, Banks took the opportunity to note Sawant’s relatively quiet stance on the issue of public safety in this year’s election. “My opponent hasn’t lead on this issue and hasn’t even made a public statement regarding this violent crime in this city,” Banks said.

Banks said addressing violent crime is her top issue in the campaign.

A full statement on the Banks “Jobs Stop Bullets” plan has been included at the bottom of this post.

Original report: After her plea for Democratic unity failed to secure a key endorsement from the 43rd District Democrats earlier this month, the D3 challenger found a friendlier response this week from her home legislative district as the 37th voted to throw its support behind Banks.

“It was great to see so many friends and neighbors at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center, and to earn the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats,” Banks said in a statement:

I’ve known many of these strong Democrats for years. Some friendships go back to when I helped make sure small businesses kept their doors open during light rail construction back in the 1990’s and others are friends and fellow parents from when I served as Garfield PTSA President.

This is the kind of results-driven, hands-on community activism that I love, and it was humbling and gratifying to see so many people turn out and support my candidacy for City Council. I continue to make housing, education, jobs and public safety my priorities, and making a difference on these issues energizes my campaign.

Banks will look to continue her momentum Thursday with a push on public safety and a morning announcement in Powell Barnett Park, “the scene of a shooting on June 25.”

Banks announces public safety platform

WHAT:   Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle CEO and District 3 candidate Pamela Banks announces her public safety platform.

WHERE: Powell Barnett Park playground: 352 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Seattle, WA 98122.

Powell Barnett Park was the scene of a shooting on June 25. That same night, a second Central District shooting injured four other people. Earlier this month, shell casings were removed from the park following another series of shootings.

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 24, 10AM

WHO:     Pamela will be joined by community members and neighborhood leaders including:

Felicia Cross, African American Community Advisory Council Chair

Reverend Harriet Walden, Founder of Mothers for Police Accountability

Presiding Bishop Ray Rogers

Stephanie Tschida, Chair, East Precinct Advisory Committee Chair (former)

Representatives of Build 206 (Brothers United In Leadership Development)

In the June 25th incident, a 31-year-old man survived after being shot in the chest at the park. More recently, an afternoon shootout on Labor Day sent park-goers scattering.

The Banks plan has been built following a wave of summer gun violence. East Precinct and City Hall representatives met with community members in August at a neighborhood crime meeting to discuss the shootings and increased coordination with federal authorities. Following the meeting the ATF confirmed it was the agency behind two cameras installed high-up on light poles at 23rd and Union and 23rd and Jackson. Meanwhile, ATF technicians were able to connect 10 recent shootings in Seattle to one handgun thanks to ballistics analysis.

There has been a 23% increase in reports of shots fired this year in Seattle. The East Precinct command has pledged an increased effort to put “shooters in handcuffs” following shootings and homicides in the Central District and on Capitol Hill.

Wednesday afternoon, another drive-by incident played out near 25th and Union as two females reportedly were seen shooting from a car as a group ducked behind cars for cover. There were no reported injuries but police recovered shell casings at the scene, found a slug embedded in a car, and may have caught images of the shooting on surveillance video from a nearby building.

Beat:C3, ASLT – IP/JO – PERSON SHOT OR SHOT AT at 25 AV / E UNION ST reported on 9/23/2015 2:25 PM, Call# 15000333458

— SeattlePD Charles3 (@SeattlePDC3) September 23, 2015

Thursday, the Banks announcement will be followed by “a community policing forum” with Department of Justice reps and Attorney General Loretta Lynch:

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch will travel to Seattle on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015, as part of a national Community Policing Tour that will highlight collaborative programs and innovative policing practices designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations and foster mutual trust and respect.  The Attorney General will be joined by U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington, Director Ron Davis of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division for a convening with law enforcement, local leaders, youth and other members of the community.

The non-public forum takes place at the Northwest African American Museum.

A poll of CHS readers prior to the primary showed that Sawant supporters were most interested in issues of housing affordability, the minimum wage, and civil rights in comparison to Banks supporters. Meanwhile, Banks supporters were more strongly valued public safety, economic development, and neighborhoods. An examination of the primary results, meanwhile, showed that Sawant dominated Capitol Hill and the Central District, but she was clobbered by Banks in the more affluent precincts along Lake Washington.

While Banks taking an upper hand with a plan more directly addressing neighborhood crime concerns could further boost her campaign, a public safety-focused strategy can be a double-edged sword in District 3. Banks has already won the backing of the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild which earns the respect of the anti-crime crowd simultaneous to arched eyebrows from many at the organization’s disdain for social justice issues and opposition to the firing of officer Cynthia Whitlatch.

Council member and D3 candidate Sawant, meanwhile, put her attention on a more global issue this week with President Xi in town:

An Open Letter to Chinese President Xi from @cmkshama http://t.co/aD5yL8iVSR #solidarity #Vote4Kshama

— Vote Sawant (@VoteSawant) September 23, 2015

“We believe the problems facing working people in both China and the US should be given attention, instead of being pushed to the side by politicians and corporate leaders, with their sole focus on maximizing profits,” Sawant writes in an “open letter” to the leader spending three days in Seattle for a series of events and meetings with corporate and government leaders.

The race between the two candidates to represent Capitol Hill, First Hill, Montlake, Madison Valley and Madison Park, part of Eastlake, and the Central District at City Council has created the biggest money election in the city with Sawant’s small army of donors going up against Banks’s deeper-pocketed backers.

Sawant and Banks are next slated to go head to head in a debate sponsored by Town Hall and the Seattle Channel Sunday, October 4 at 7:30pm at Seattle University’s Pigott Auditorium.

UPDATE: Here is the full Banks announcement:

Banks Releases Dist. 3 Public Safety Strategy: Jobs Stop Bullets

SEATTLE— Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle CEO and District 3 candidate Pamela Banks released a public safety platform today that addresses the rise in gun violence, property  crimes and police-community relations.

“From my countless conversations with the residents of District 3, it’s clear that public safety is one of the top concerns,” saidBanks. “As a mom and community activist, I have devoted my life and career to finding solutions that create safer, more inclusive communities. Unfortunately, my opponent has been a no-show on public safety. The people of District 3 deserve better from their representative in City Hall.”

Between Jan. 1 and mid-August, there were 252 reports of gunfire in Seattle, a 30 percent increase from last year. In the East and South precincts, there were 22 “shots fired” reports between June 9 and July 6.

• Violence Interrupters

Banks proposes a comprehensive anti-crime initiative that includes deploying specially trained Violence Interrupters, former gang members and others who have the street skills to diffuse potentially deadly confrontations. Modeled after a successful program in Chicago that produced “distinct and statistically significant declines in broad measures of actual and attempted shootings,” the Banks plan would leverage one-on-one connections with vulnerable adults to reduce violent crime.

Violence Interrupters were briefly tried in Seattle, and a 2012 audit of crime prevention programs found “general consensus that community prevention is a promising approach.”

“We know what works to make our community safer, but we haven’t had strong advocates on the Council to make it happen,” said Banks. “This isn’t about responding to headlines. It’s about putting our resources into saving lives, and making our neighborhoods safer every day of the year.”

• Jobs=Crime Prevention

As leader of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Banks successfully directed the Career Bridge program to connect primarily African American men with a history of trauma and violence to jobs in the community.  The concept was pioneered by the Black Prisoners’ Caucus, a group of inmates at Monroe’s Washington State Reformatory. The Caucus, founded in 1972, advocates for solutions to keep young men out of prison. Banks was a long-time volunteer for the group.

Founded in 2012 following an uptick in gun violence, Career Bridge focused on people with multiple barriers to employment, including a history of incarceration. Offering mentoring, training, education and support, Career Bridge has helped more than 150 men find work and create stable households.

“Career Bridge offers hope to those who often think they have nothing to lose and nothing to gain,” said Banks. “We can tell a different story. I’ve worked with young men who have completely turned their lives around. We need to expand this life-saving program. We cannot continue to waste time – and lives.”

• Property Crimes Matter

Last year, there were more than 40,000 property crimes in Seattle.  But often, people who report bike thefts and car prowls feel like they encounter a “Take-a-number” attitude by Seattle Police. Every crime should be taken seriously, and Seattle Police must provide the highest level of customer service to every District 3 resident.

To hold police accountable, Banks will encourage residents who experience property crime to contact her office. Banks will set weekly meetings with Chief Kathleen O’Toole or her representative to discuss each incident, look for patterns and ensure proper follow through.

“If you’ve been a victim of property crime, I want to be your advocate in City Hall and Police Headquarters,” said Banks. “Under Council districts, no one will fight harder for you than your representative. Unlike my opponent, I have a track record of being accessible and getting results.”

• Re-building Community Trust

Tensions between the community and Seattle Police persist, several years after the Department of Justice scrutinized the Department’s use of force. Effective community outreach remains a challenge – the Community Outreach Plan posted on the Seattle Police website was last updated in 2011. The East Precinct Community Police Team is understaffed.

Banks will advocate for more resources for Community Police Teams to create meaningful and long-lasting connections between residents and officers.

“We want to create a police department where residents know the officers, and officers know the community,” said Banks. “To re-build trust, we need focus and commitment. I’m the right person to get it done. As a community activist, people know and trust me. I also appreciate the support of rank-and-file officers. I can bring people together. My opponent’s divide-and-conquer mentality doesn’t improve police relations, and won’t bring people together to make us all safer.”

Speakers at the event including Reverend Harriet Walden who founded Mothers for Police Accountability, the current and former Chairs of the East Precinct Advisory Committee Troy Meyers and Stephanie Tschida, representatives of BUILD 206 (Brothers United In Leadership Development).

“I am proud to support Pamela for District 3,” said the Rev. Harriett Walden, a founder of Mothers for Police Accountability. “I’ve known Pamela for decades, and we share a commitment to social justice, safe communities and police accountability. Her passion and her work gets results. We need a representative in City Hall who really cares about public safety, and is dedicated to making a difference.”