MEDIA ALERT
October 31, 2019
For Immediate Release
Mayor Lucas Introduces Gun Ordinance Aimed at Helping Save Domestic Violence Victims
Kansas City, Mo, October 31, 2019 – Yesterday morning, under the roof of Rose Brooks Center, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas introduced an ordinance aimed at curbing gun violence and violent crime. Mayor Lucas said the ordinance would allow police to arrest a person carrying a firearm who has been convicted of domestic violence, whether a felony or misdemeanor, or who has been issued a restraining order. The ordinance would also allow police to remove the firearm.
“Someone who has committed acts of violence against their intimate partners, have been shown to be a greater threat to kill their partner,” Lucas said. “This is one more step in a series of actions that we’re taking to combat gun violence and violent crime.”
Lucas said the inspiration for the local legislation came from a recent visit to the Rose Brooks Center, in which he had conversations with domestic violence victims and advocates. Those people, the mayor said, taught him the prevalence of firearms in the realm of domestic violence.
When Lucas was touring Rose Brooks, he asked what was one of the biggest concerns for victims of domestic violence. Annie Struby, Rose Brooks Center’s Blueprint for Safety Coordinator, answered “Guns.” Six weeks later, Mayor Lucas unveiled a new ordinance at a press conference at Rose Brooks Center to keep guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers.
“Over half of the most violent abusers, those most likely to kill their partners, have access to firearms,” explains Annie Struby. “This proposed ordinance is a huge step towards saving the lives of the survivors we work with each day.”
At Rose Brooks Center advocates work every day with survivors who have been threatened with a gun by their partner and fear they will be killed. Which is why we continue our work with the city to create a coordinated response to victims of domestic violence while working to hold offenders accountable.
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About Rose Brooks Center
Rose Brooks Center offers domestic violence services and programming in the Kansas City Metro area and beyond. While hundreds of individuals and pets find safety in emergency shelter, thousands more are served outside of shelter through groundbreaking community programs. Rose Brooks Center has been providing services to individuals and families since 1978. www.rosebrooks.org.
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