To: Board of Supervisors
From: Diana Becton, District Attorney
Report Title: Proclaiming June 2025 as Gun Violence Awareness Month in Contra Costa County
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Proclaiming June 2025 as Gun Violence Awareness Month in Contra Costa County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
BACKGROUND:
See Resolution Text
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
June 2025 will not be recognized as Gun Violence Awareness Month in Contra Costa County.
The Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County, California
body
IN THE MATTER OF Proclaiming June 2025 as Gun Violence Awareness Month in Contra Costa County:
WHEREAS, gun violence remains a devastating public health crisis across the United States, disproportionately affecting BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, and demands urgent, community-driven solutions that center healing, justice, and equity; and
WHEREAS, gun violence impacts individuals of all ages, heightens the risk of death in domestic violence situations, raises the likelihood of fatality by those who intend to injure others and among those who attempt suicide, and places children and young people at increased risk of physical harm and injury; and
WHEREAS, in 2022, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were over 48,000 firearm-related deaths in the United States and 3,484 gun deaths in California; and in 2023, Contra Costa County law enforcement responded to 3,218 domestic violence calls for assistance, with approximately 2% of weapon-related incidents involving a firearm; and
WHEREAS, gun violence remains a leading cause of premature death and community trauma in Contra Costa County, with East Contra Costa consistently experiencing the highest rates of gun assault deaths, accounting for 41% of all gun assault fatalities countywide between 2010 and 2022; and
WHEREAS, June is recognized nationally as Gun Violence Prevention Month, a time to honor the lives lost, support survivors, and galvanize efforts to prevent violence through restorative practices, public policy, and community engagement; and
WHEREAS, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the Family Justice Center, has established a new initiative to support survivors of unsolved shootings to provide services and resources to victims whose harm may not be addressed within the criminal justice system; and
WHEREAS, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the Family Justice Center, the Richmond Police Department, the San Ramon Police Department, Stand! for Families Free of Violence, Bay Area Legal Aid, and the Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse, established and leads the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to collaborate on compliance with firearms relinquishment orders and provide specialized trainings to maximize the safety of survivors of domestic violence and other forms of interpersonal violence and their loved ones; and
WHEREAS, Contra Costa Health, through its Violence Prevention Program, is actively implementing community-centered school-based violence prevention strategies in East Contra Costa County, serving over 190 students across four campuses in 2024- Antioch Middle School, Antioch High School, Deer Valley High School, and Dozier Libbey Medical High School. These efforts focus on mentorship, social-emotional learning, and restorative practices in communities disproportionately affected by violence; and
WHEREAS, in Contra Costa County, more than 40 community-based organizations and leaders have united to form Restorative SHAWC, California’s first safety stakeholders association, committed to transforming residents from bystanders to active safety stakeholders through leadership development, block-by-block engagement, and resident-led policy; and
WHEREAS, Restorative SHAWC, in collaboration with its four major sponsors-Faith In Action East Bay, the City of Richmond, The K. Stewart Foundation, and the Restorative SHAWC organizing body- hosted the Juneteenth Silence Our Violence Leadership Summit on June 20-21, 2025, to empower residents, elevate BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices, and provide resources for prevention, intervention, and long-term community wellness; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors urges all residents to actively participate in the efforts to end gun violence in our homes, our schools, our workplaces, and in our communities and does hereby proclaim June 2025 as “Gun Violence Awareness Month” because one life taken is too many.