Comprehensive strategies and greater coordination of resources must be a priority.
We must address the conditions in the community and the unmet needs of youth that allow gangs to take root, flourish and expand. To combat violence in the community and specifically gang proliferation, it will take an investment in job creation economic development and youth intervention programs. There is a need for a comprehensive strategy that coordinates resources in the community. I am calling for a Department of Neighborhood Development that would coordinate such efforts throughout the city. For example this office could work to coordinate the efforts of neighborhood association. We must also foster partnerships with the many institutions in the community that provide services for youth. For instance, working with the schools, we would focus on how to best utilize the schools in developing after school programs for at risk young people. I am proposing taking an integrated approach to the violence in our community that will involve churches, schools, private industry and government.
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