King County Prosecutor announces priorities for administration, including gun violence prevention

On Tuesday, King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion announced the new policies and practices she will implement for her new administration.

Manion was sworn in earlier this month as the first woman and person of color to serve in the position.

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During a news conference, she announced the creation of a new gun violence prevention unit that will identify and prosecute those perpetuating the most harm in the community.

“I believe gun violence is preventable, and this new unit will serve to reduce the devastating effects of gun violence on our King County communities,” said Manion. “In my vision, our new gun violence prevention unit is at the heart of a strong partnership where prosecutors, police, community leaders, and nonprofits use data to inform our collective approach to tackling gun violence.”

It will also connect individuals exposed to gun violence to community-based resources before they become perpetrators or victims.

Tuesday’s announcement also included the creation of two new divisions.

The first does not yet have an official title but will focus on gender-based violence – this includes the domestic violence unit, sexually violent predator unit, sex crimes and commercial sexual exploitation and hate crimes.

“While all victims and survivors of crime are relevant and deserve to be heard, the purpose of this new division is to elevate and improve our office’s response to gender-based violence,” said Manion. “This division will bring a trauma-informed, victim-centered response to these cases.”

A new economic crimes and wage theft division is also being created. This will include organized retail theft, economic crimes, identity theft, fraud, elder abuse and wage theft.

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