Board advances ordinance to establish Gun Violence Prevention Task Force; clears first reading

The Board of Supervisors passed on first reading an ordinance on Jan. 27 to establish a Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and related administrative procedures.

Supervisor Cohen, the ordinance's sponsor, said the measure responds to the city's audit of violence-prevention spending and to recent homicides. She told colleagues the task force would coordinate city departments and community participants and would include seats for community members affected by violence, including a seat for a person who had been convicted of a violent crime or the parent of a homicide victim. "This report uncovered a lot of useful information on what we are doing in our city to prevent violence," Cohen said, and she asked her colleagues to support the task force to improve coordination.

Supervisor Campos praised the proposal and stressed a need for community involvement and oversight of how multi-million-dollar allocations were spent, noting audits had found no central coordinating body. Planning and budget committee staff previously recommended creation of a coordinating body to ensure funds produce consistent outcomes.

The measure passed out of committee with a positive recommendation and passed the Board on its first reading by the unanimous voice/roll call; the planning department noted the ordinance had clarifying language about membership and duties. The ordinance directs creation of the task force and authorizes staffing, community seats and periodic reporting and gives the Board and Mayor the ability to evaluate strategic allocation of violence-prevention funds across departments.

The ordinance passed first reading and will return for a second reading and final adoption per the regular process.