Mayor proposes gun safety rules to protect children and youth
New rules would cover community centers, playgrounds, special events

SEATTLE –Mayor Greg Nickels today proposed a rule to prohibit firearms in Parks and Recreations Department facilities intended for children and youth, such as playgrounds, community and environmental learning centers, sports fields and courts, swimming and wading pools, and water play areas.

Signs will be posted notifying the public that firearms are prohibited as a condition of entry into the facilities.

“These are the places where our children and families gather and it is common sense that community centers, playgrounds and swimming pools are safer without guns,” said Nickels.

After a man shot and injured three people at the 2008 Folklife Festival, Nickels directed city departments to evaluate rules, policies and leases related to guns. The suspect in last year’s shooting had a concealed weapons permit and a history of mental health problems.

After gathering public input, the city is now moving forward with an administrative rule that will prohibit firearms at designated park facilities where children and youth are likely to be present. Parks personnel will ask individuals with guns to leave these areas. If they refuse, they may be subject to citation or arrest for criminal trespass by Seattle police. Locations covered by the proposed rule include:

• 26 community centers
• 4 environmental learning centers
• 10 pools
• 30 wading pools and water play areas
• 2 small craft centers
• 2 specialized facilities (tennis center, performing arts center)
• 139 playgrounds and play areas
• 213 ballfields
• 6 late night recreation sites
• 3 teen life centers
• 82 outdoor tennis and basketball courts

In 2008, more than 1.8 million people visited and attended programs in Parks Department-owned community centers, pools, teen life centers and environmental learning centers. More than 108,000 children and youth visited wading pools and more than 59,000 youth events were scheduled at sports fields.

The city will take public comment on the proposed rule over the next two weeks. Residents can submit comments by Oct. 4, 2009, at www.seattle.gov/firearmsrule or send comments to: Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, 100 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103.

In 2008, the city introduced a policy requiring organizations that lease Seattle Center and other city property to take reasonable steps to prohibit guns during their events. If individuals bring guns to special events at Seattle Center, such as the Folklife Festival, Bumbershoot and the Bite of Seattle, they may safely store their guns in lock boxes provided at the Seattle Center. The lease policy will now be formalized as an executive order.

Nickels has urged lawmakers in Olympia to ban assault weapons, require criminal background checks at gun shows and require trigger locks and safe storage of firearms. Nickels has long advocated tougher laws that would keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. In April, the state legislature passed a law prohibiting the possession of firearms by adults and juveniles who are involuntarily committed for 14 days or more for mental health treatment.

The city of Seattle has been actively working on local, regional and national strategies to reduce gun violence. Nickels is a founding member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which is promoting federal legislation to assist law enforcement in combating gun trafficking.

View the FAQ sheet on the proposal - Acrobat PDF

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