The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is the nation's largest national, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, since mid-July 2006. Prior to this, Helmke was a lawyer in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he served as mayor from 1988-2000. In the early 1990s he worked with Jim and Sarah Brady to help build support for the Brady Law and the federal Assault Weapons Ban.