Mayor Rickenmann to present proposed Office of Gun Violence Prevention at workshop
By Chris Joseph
Published: Aug. 29, 2022 at 7:52 PM EDT
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Columbia’s Mayor is slated to present a new $802,800 proposal to take on gun violence in Columbia on Tuesday.
Mayor Daniel Rickenmann will present the “Mayor’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention” to the city council at the council workshop Tuesday afternoon.
Agenda documents for the proposal states the office “would focus on coordinating resources in the City of Columbia to focus targeted efforts on communities most impacted by gun violence.”
The agenda states the proposal draws from examples in New York, Washington D.C., and New Orleans. It lists the following objectives:
Establish a qualified and experienced team to direct use of resources and efforts.
Build a network of trained community interrupters.
Create a catalog of community programs to foster relationships among neighbors.
Mediate conflicts in communities that have the potential to spill over into violence.
Produce positive outcomes in high-violence areas in the City of Columbia.
2022-08-30 Columbia City Council - Full Agenda-1369 by Tiffany R on Scribd
The office would create a full-time staff, including a director, a team of “violence interrupters” to mediate conflicts, and partnership coordinators to connect resources to community members.
The proposal requests $802,800 for three years of funding from 2023 to 2025.
$245,600 annually for staff salaries
$12,000 annually for staff benefits
$10,000 annually for office expenses
The total cost is slated at $802,800.
Rickenmann said he is hoping to use the city’s American Rescue Plan funds.
“I’m going, to be honest, my goal with this is that we partner the right way and we build it up that isn’t an office, we almost want it to phase out at a point, that we’ve done our job, and we’ve built up the community and we’ve addressed the issue that it’s not long term,” he said.
Rickenmann said the ultimate metric for success is reduced shootings.
“This year we’re up to roughly 74, the projections by the end of the year we may be well over 100, obviously our goal is to get that to 50 percent or less in that period,” he said.
The said the office will work to be a “central place” for a partnership between the Columbia Police Department and gun violence non-profits. “Really to be the quarterback,” he said. MORE Justice leaders Rev. Carey Grady and Reverend Deacon Dianna Deaderick expressed cautious optimism.
“I think we’re always optimistic and excited about any time our elected officials take gun violence seriously, and really we’re just waiting to see what the Mayor will state and unfold [Tuesday],” Grady said.
Grady said he is hopeful long-time gun violence experts and advocates will be included in the discussion to steer the office toward the root causes of gun violence if it takes shape. Grady pointed to poor education, homelessness, and a lack of jobs as those causes.
Deaderick echoed Grady and said she hopes MORE Justice will get a chance to be involved. She also expressed support for the creation of paid staff.
“We are very optimistic about this proposal, that the Mayor is willing to move forward, " she said.
Building Better Communities Founder Perry Bradley also expressed support and said it’s a sign of the local government becoming more invested.
“These things only help expand our grasp in the community,” he said.
Bradley said he would want to see the office be an extended presence.
“Once [gun violence] does decline, you still have to keep it at that level,” he said.
Rickenmann has helped fund Bradley’s work in the past.
The proposal will still need to get council approval.
At-Large City Councilman Howard Duvall said he has questions about the structure of the office, making sure the city employees answer to the city manager and not the mayor. “My concern is a little technical, we want to make sure it’s organized properly and funded properly,” he said.
Rickenmann said the employees would answer to the city manager.
Duvall said the council has not had any formal discussions on the proposed office yet but is likely inclined to support the program “if it’s workable.”
District 1 Councilwoman Tina Herbert was not immediately available for an interview on Monday. Her district encompasses the northern part of the city.
She said she had concerns about the proposal, but those will be addressed at the workshop.
The workshop is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at City Hall.
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