City Councilor Pat Davis to Represent NM In White House Summit on Gun Violence Prevention

Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis is traveling to the White House on Tuesday to attend a 50-state summit on gun violence prevention for state and local elected officials at the White House with Vice President Joe Biden.

According to White House organizers, the aim of the meeting is to bring together a group of state and local elected officials -- who have been leaders in the fight to save lives from gun violence -- to engage with senior Administration officials and to exchange information about the steps they are taking to advance the cause of gun violence prevention through local action in their communities.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data compiled by 24/7 Wall St., New Mexico ranks No. 9 for gun violence amongst states. In 2013 the firearm death rate in NM was 15.4 per 100,000, the largest majority of which are from suicide.

“It’s time we get serious about reducing gun violence in Albuquerque and around the country,” said City Councilor Pat Davis. “We need a more holistic approach that addresses gun violence as a symptom of the deeper problems in our communities. That’s why I’m advocating for better community policing and more community programs that will help break the cycles of poverty and substance abuse that lead to violence.”

Davis, a former police officer, has been an advocate for responsible gun ownership and targeted enforcement of gun laws against violent offenders and firearms traffickers. 

In addition to discussing his own experiences as a police officer and advocate for responsible gun violence prevention laws at the legalities, Davis says he plans to share the story of local officers he recently met in Albuquerque's Southeast Area Command who are cross-trained with Federal agencies, enabling them to refer local cases of felons with guns and crimes involving guns directly to federal agencies and prosecutors.