Seattle City Wire

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.

The Justice Department, through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions, will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.

“Our federal prosecutors will team with the King County Prosecutors Office to review all firearms cases arising from domestic violence incidents to determine if federal prosecution is appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “This partnership with King County recognizes that it takes all of us to reduce gun violence in our community.”

“Public safety is my top priority, and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is committed to tackling gender-based and domestic violence,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion. “We are proud of the work the Regional Domestic Violence Firearm Enforcement Unit, a partnership with the City of Seattle, has done over the last several years to address gun violence in domestic violence relationships. We look forward to partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on strategies and solutions. It is more important than ever that my office and our law enforcement partners collaborate on our shared goal of keeping our communities safe, decreasing recidivism, and having clear accountability for criminal acts.”

“We’re continuing our efforts to ensure that intimate partner firearm violence is addressed in a proactive manner, and we continue to work to deter domestic violence offenders from possessing firearms, investigating those who choose to do so illegally,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Each of our field offices has a Violence Against Woman Act coordinator, as maintaining the safety of our families and communities is the cornerstone of ATF’s mission in partnership with our U.S. Attorney offices.”

Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents partnership and coordination between the department and local jurisdictions to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively.

In Washington State Spokane County and King County are currently designated jurisdictions prioritizing prosecuting intimate partner firearm violence.

The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions will be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs will continue combating intimate partner firearm violence as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.