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My heart aches. A beautiful young woman is dead, her son motherless, her family traumatized. Violence often begets violence. And it is critical to interrupt it at the earliest stage. Studies prove that community engagement programs involving trained and trusted peacemakers bring gun violence down; 

I submitted articles and raised the question at a recent Mayor’s Fair and Impartial Policing Workgroup on whether BPD had followed up on continuous offers from community organizations to work on gun violence interruption following a daytime shooting in San Pablo Park a couple of years ago. I was at that historic community meeting in a filled auditorium hosted by Councilmember Davila and Mayor Arreguin. Berkeley residents showed up with compelling stories, and proposed solutions including BPD working with a CeaseFire group, or something similar. It was one of the largest and most diverse gatherings I had observed in Berkeley. 

I asked again in a recent F&IP workgroup whether such a step could be prioritized in light of gun shootings in South and West Berkeley. I was told various programs were being ‘studied.’ I do not understand why the BPD’s $77 million budget could not include a line item for Violence Reduction programming, as other cities have adopted with positive results. Police are sometimes referred to as ‘Peace Officers,’ and peacemaking should be part of the restorative justice approach to re-imagined policing. 

I was told such programs are expensive, and understanding that is a reality, I sent a link to grants for police to receive funding to adopt such programs. I was happy to hear that BPD has an officer who is a seasoned grant writer seeking funding. Unfortunately, we were recently denied a grant. I recall that Councilmember Davila asked the BPD during a recent meeting about the status of a gun buy back program, and other efforts to reduce gun violence.  

I’m sending a donation to the GoFundMe page for the family of Ms. Henderson, and I urge everyone who can do so to contribute. However, I also ask myself - should I have advocated even louder and stronger for a prioritizing of peacemaking, gun prevention programs that could save this young woman’s life?  

I mentioned CeaseFire, LiveFree and Voices Against Violence as local and national programs that have proven to reduce gun violence. Community safety must also include protecting Black, Brown and Indigenous lives from violence. The Berkeley Community Safety Coalition is committed to advocating for programs and policies that ensure healthy, safe lives for our entire community. I will work with BEEMA, BCSC and others committed to peace and justice.  

As a mother, and a concerned Berkeley resident - I call on all of us to wrap our arms around Ms.Henderson’s family and others impacted by gun violence. My aunt and cousin were killed in their own home in Mississippi a couple of years ago and I promised my mom after the funeral that I would do all that I could to ensure the police fully investigated and pursued their killer. Many of us have lost loved ones to gun violence. I will return to that effort again after my dozens of emails and phone calls did not indicate any suspect was detained in my aunt and cousin’s killing. There is no statute of limitations on murder to charge the killer(s) in that case, or the recent murder of this beautiful young mother. 

We want to see our family members at birthday celebrations and holiday dinners- not at funerals in caskets. As we pursue suspects - we must also tackle the complex causes that contribute to escalating gun violence. I believe the old adage is true: A dollar of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And money and people power must be mobilized and prioritized to stop gun violence in my beloved Berkeley - because each life lost is priceless and irreplaceable.