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Health department outlines public‑health approach to gun violence; cites outreach grants and safe‑storage work
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Summary
The Tacoma‑Pierce County Health Department told the council it is using a public‑health strategy for gun violence prevention that includes community grants, safe‑storage lockbox distribution, a youth ‘Choose Peace’ campaign with millions of social impressions, and plans to improve data sharing across partners.
Elizabeth Allen, program manager for behavioral and emotional health at the Tacoma‑Pierce County Health Department, briefed the council on April 23 about the agency's public‑health approach to gun violence prevention and youth violence.
Allen said the county has seen a long‑term decline in firearm mortality since the 1990s but remains concerned about gun‑related deaths and injuries among residents ages 15–34 and among children. "In 2025, we had 8 children, 18 and under, die of gun violence," Allen said, adding that the department treats gun violence as a population‑health issue requiring upstream interventions.
She described community gatherings in 2024–25 and an RFP process that awarded a total of $120,000 to 19 primarily youth‑serving organizations, with awards ranging from about $2,000 to $12,000. Allen said those funded organizations reached more than 3,000 youth during that period. The department has distributed safe‑storage lock boxes through family resource centers and health partners — including biometric and combination lock boxes — and is working with Kaiser to distribute lockboxes at clinical sites.
Allen also highlighted the department's youth prevention campaign, "Choose Peace," which she said had roughly 4,000,000 social media impressions and about 20,000 website visitors as of March. She said a conflict‑resolution training initiative for adults who serve youth starts May 1 with two cohorts and 12 sessions; about 35 people had signed up.
Councilmembers asked about data collection and whether information flows from law enforcement about how firearms were accessed (theft, family access, etc.). Allen said data‑sharing agreements and partnerships take time to build and that the department is working to identify what data are available and where gaps remain.
Allen framed the department's priorities as improved data sharing, targeted policy and systems change informed by the why behind behavior, and expanded community‑level prevention infrastructure. No formal action or vote occurred during the presentation.