Seattle commuters on Interstate 5 were recently stuck in a traffic jam, but it wasn’t caused by a car accident. Instead, it was due to a protest staged by a nonprofit organization funded by Seattle and King County.
Based in Skyway, Urban Family is a group that focuses on addressing gang and youth violence, as well as the impact of systemic poverty.
The “100 days of peace” initiative was launched by the organization on July 5th with a protest on I-5. The objective of the initiative is to generate awareness regarding the problem of gun violence in neighborhoods of Seattle and King County.
On their website, Urban Family announced that they are once again stepping up to address the issue of senseless gun violence in our communities, in response to the call of community and civic leaders. Co-founders Paule and Shantel Patu emphasized the importance of collective effort in making our city safe again.
During the holiday weekend, the organization caused a slowdown in traffic by having cars display signs that read “Traffic jam for peace.”
According to The Center Square, The Washington State Department of Transportation confirmed that traffic movement was not completely halted during the protest. The high occupancy vehicle lane remained accessible for vehicles to pass through.
Northbound traffic on I-5 in south Seattle near Boeing Field experienced a brief slowdown of less than 30 minutes, resulting in a traffic backup of around four miles. The Washington State Patrol provided an escort to guide the affected motorists off the highway at the South Albro exit.
King County Seattle has provided funding to Urban Family.
As part of the Seattle Community Safety Initiative, the organization collaborates with Community Passageways, The Boys and Girls Club of King County, and the YMCA of Greater Seattle. This initiative is funded by the city with an annual budget of $4 million.
Urban Family, a service provider for the Rainier Beach Action Coalition, receives funding from Public Health – Seattle & King County. The coalition’s Restorative Resolutions project is dedicated to assisting families and individuals in southeast Seattle who have been most affected by gun violence incidents.
On its website, the Restorative Resolutions project, which is sponsored by the public health department of the region, acknowledges that gun violence persists in Rainier Beach due to the government’s patriarchal white supremacist values, policies, and practices in Seattle, King County, Washington.
Starting on July 5, 2024 and continuing through to October 13, 2024, Urban Family and community leaders have developed a comprehensive prevention and intervention plan that targets individuals who are at a higher risk of either being a victim or perpetrator of gun violence.
As per the crime dashboard of the Seattle Police Department, there have been a total of 291 incidents related to shootings and shots fired until May 2024. This marks an 8% hike from the 270 cases reported during the same period last year.
Eight of the shootings and shots fired out of the total 291 incidents that occurred until May resulted in fatalities.
In 2023, a total of 731 incidents of gunshots were reported, resulting in 43 fatalities.
