Stop Youth Violence

(Updated, Sunday, November 23, 2008) Tragically, another one of our children has been killed by gunfire.  He is Daiquan L. Jones, shot dead at a shopping mall just south of Seattle. Daiquan is the sixth young man this year to be gunned down this year. 

Here's the roster of Seattle children deaths this year—

Daiquan L. Jones, age 16, killed by gunfire on November 22, 2008 at Westfield Southcenter Shopping Mall. 

Quincy Coleman, age 15, killed by gunfire on October 31, 2008 near Garfield High School.

Pierre LaPoint, age 16, killed by gunfire on August 5, 2008 along Rainier Avenue South.

Perry Henderson, age 18, killed by gunfire on January 26, 2008 in the far south end of the city.

De’Che Morrison, age 14, killed by gunfire on January 11, 2008 on South Rose Street.

Allen Joplin, age 17, killed by gunfire on January 3, 2008 in Belltown.

We must stop this violence that rips at our city’s soul.  Fortunately, there are specific steps we can take to make a huge difference.  Other cities have done it and so can we.

Later this week, on Friday, the City Council will discuss the Mayor’s proposed Youth Violence Prevention Initiative.  We are likely to approve elements of the Mayor’s plan, accelerate some parts, and slow down other parts until more details are known. 

Over the past couple of months, my colleagues and I have attended many community meetings, spoken with police officers and teachers, rode with paramedics, listened to pastors and nonprofit organization leaders, and researched strategies that have worked in other cities.  Based on these discussions and research, and recognizing that government can’t single-handedly cure these problems, I believe we do need both short-term and long-term government-driven efforts. 

We need an immediate “stop the violence” effort that taps proven police intervention strategies and community grassroots action—strong leadership from youth leaders, school officials, the faith community, parents, and the young people directly touched by the senselessness of this violence.  We need community members, including parents, to step up and loudly proclaim that violence is not acceptable in our city.  This declaration is urgently needed, but it must come from the community.  Of course, city officials and police can say these things, and we do, but the power of these words increases dramatically when it’s your parent, your pastor, your neighbor, your teacher, or your youth leader saying them.  We all need to speak out with a unified voice.

We need to acknowledge—publicly, out loud—that we have a serious gang crisis in our city.  Individuals involved in the murders I’ve cited were gang-involved.  These are just the incidents that resulted in death; there are many more shootings that wounded but did not kill. 

We need our police commanders to develop specific strategies and tactics that target violent gang-involved youth.  There are likely fewer than 100 individuals in Seattle responsible for the vast majority of the youth violence we are experiencing.  We need to identify and target these individuals for proactive policing and aggressive prosecution.  (See the Boston Ceasefire youth violence success story to learn how another city successfully reduced youth violence.) 

We need strong illegal gun intervention efforts.  Our city is awash in illegal guns.  Police commanders acknowledge this fact.  Again, let’s follow the example of other cities and adopt proven, evidence-based strategies that target the illegal gun marketplace close to retail transaction points and street-level trafficking.  This requires a regional strategy involving federal law enforcement resources. 

We need to return school resource officers to select middle and high schools.  These police officers provide an effective bridge for young people, including those getting in trouble at school, to receive services that are positive alternatives and that steer kids away from gang involvement.  These officers can also capitalize on networks of information that may defuse problems, especially retaliation violence.  As you’ve heard me say many times before, I believe “Cops matter.”  Their presence is both a deterrent to crime and a reassurance of safety. 

The Council is working closely with the Mayor on this issue.  We’ll have much more to say later this week. 

Councilmember Bruce Harrell and Tina Podlodowski, CEO of Big Brothers-Big Sisters, published an opinion piece in The Seattle Times last week that highlighted the importance of mentoring in preventing youth violence. 

 

Comments

[S. Charles]

Please read: Battling for future of our kids.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2008493721_jdl11.html

This is a call for mentors.

Thank you for the work that you do in the community.

[S. Charles]

Wyking, thank you for your support in the community.

Below is a link to the Q13 story coverage ran on King 5.

http://www.q13fox.com/pages/video/?autoStart=true&topvideocatno=default&clipid=3210327

-Wyking
--
wyking411.wordpress.com
Remix Marketing & Communications, LLC
206-941-2527 (Seattle)
646-241-9122 (New York)
866-846-0106 (Toll Free)

[S. Charles]

Parents and Partners!!!
Please join a meeting for parents, families and guardians of 8-12th grade students on Thursday, December 11, 2008 at Cleveland High School (Meet in the Commons). 6:00pm - 8:00pm. Sponsored by the Seatle Alliance of Black School Educators in Partnership with SPS.
For more details: 206-252-6630 or 206-252-0749.

[S. Charles]

Here is the link for the story.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/389102_families24.html

[Jacqueline Moore]

Mothers reach out to imperiled youths
'We can't keep losing kids like this,' 2 women say after rash of killings
By CLAUDIA ROWE

The above info is for anyone interested in helping two moms with their important endeavor.

[vanilla cokehead]

My wife and I were sad to learn about the shooting at Southcenter mall yesterday. Our first date was there - and we frequented the mall when we lived in Renton.

As for Jared Strand's suggestion, maybe a regional or county-wide gang task force is needed - officers with authority to cross corporation limits. This task force should be augmented with support from social service agencies from throughout the area who can help address the underlying problems that lead to young men and women getting involved with gangs.

Strong law enforcement presence needs to be used in a targeted way - but non-police measures need to tackle the issues that lead to involvement in gangs too.

[Jacqueline Moore]

I second the statements above get involved with the movement.Early childhood education is the key.African America Community please everyone band together and pull those up in need, our children are under educated and dying to vilence at a alarming rate ! Please let's all come together and Stop the Violence ! Please start LOVING, RESPECTING AND EDUCATING ONE ANOTHER BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!!!

[Denise Gloster]

Be a part of the movement to improve the lives of youth in our community -- join the next March for Youth planning meeting:

Monday, November 24, 2008
7-9pm
Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club
4520 MLK Jr. Way s
Seattle

[S Charles]

We need to invest in public education and not incarceration. Why do we have more prisons instead of better public schools? We need for the community to support African American Parent Involvement Day (February 9, 2009) and African American Legislation Day (February 16, 2009). We need to support students participating in the NW Black Pioneers HBC Tour scheduled for March 2009.

[Nancy]

Hi Tim--

I am resident of the CD and am very concerned about the recent increase in youth violence.

I watched the Seattle Channel program about the Mayor's $9 million proposal to fund programs that will stem youth violence and I strongly urge the Council to support this proposal and fund it fully. We cannot NOT do this! Too many young lives are at stake, not to mention the security and safety of the residents of the CD.

Thank you for your work on behalf of the city.

[Jared Strand]

Tim- I recently moved into the area right where Tukwila and Seattle converge (Upper Rainier Beach). There is a constant problem due to the fact that this is the intersection of two jurisdictions. If I call 911, I get different response teams based on whether I say the cross street behind or in front of the building that is the main cause of problems. While Tukwila has a wonderfully funded police force, it would be great if the departments worked together in problem areas like this, rather than pushing it off on the other, hoping that one or the other will "take care of it".

[K. Coghlan]

Tim: your suggestions are all valid, but they only address symptoms; we need intensive early childhood intervention, better day care, better (heck, ANY) early childhood education to actually reduce the culture of violence many children grow up in.