Atlanta safety commission gets outpour of feedback on youth violence prevention
Dozens of residents from various backgrounds commented on the prevalence of youth violence for nearly two hours during a special meeting called by Atlanta’s Public Safety Commission.
Public speakers filled an Atlanta City Hall committee room Tuesday night after the city called a special meeting to receive input and strategies for combatting youth violence in Atlanta.
The three-hour meeting was called after Zyion Charles, 12, and Cameron Jackson, 15, were fatally shot in Midtown on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Four other minors also were injured during the incident. And on Saturday, 77-year-old Eleanor Bowles was fatally stabbed inside her Buckhead home.
Three teen suspects have been arrested in connection to the Midtown shooting. A 23-year-old man was arrested in connection to the Buckhead stabbing.
On Tuesday, the mothers of children who experienced gang violence said the system is neglecting the community. Former employees from the public sector said the parents and the community are responsible for teaching children right from wrong early on in the school system.
Victims of gang violence told the commission children are being influenced by modern culture, such as music artists who are also gangbangers. Nonprofit leaders said the government needs to reach out to the children that aren’t already participating in publicly-funded recreational programs.
A man who said he was previously jailed on drug charges told the committee that Atlanta needs a stronger community-based violence intervention program. Richard Wright, a 2021 mayoral candidate, urged educated Black men to do pro bono community service with children in the city for four hours a month.
“We’ve got a spiritual problem,” said Ken Johnson, a former NFL defensive lineman for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Atlanta City Councilwoman Keisha Sean Waites urged the nonprofit leaders to contact her office to help the city address youth violence. City Councilman Michael Julian Bond said the government can’t change what happens inside of someone’s house, but he proposed the city and the school system enact new laws concerning children.
“This is a crisis in our city,” Bond said. “There are a lot of things that policymakers can do for that captive population that we have so much authority over that we’re not using.”
Atlanta City Council created the Public Safety Commission last year to provide recommendations for public safety reforms as violent crime continues to rattle Atlanta. The commission consists of more than a dozen public officials and community leaders from Atlanta, Fulton County and DeKalb County.
The commission is tasked with creating safety recommendations within the next year. The commissioners thanked the public for their input as they acknowledged how there isn’t a single answer to eradicate crime.
Commission Chair Jasmine Moore sought to remind the public that it will take time to see the impact of their recommendations if the government decides to implement those strategies.
“We have a very short period of time to make a large impact,” Moore said.
About the Author
Wilborn P. Nobles III covers Atlanta City Hall for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He began covering DeKalb County Schools for The AJC in November 2020. He previously covered Baltimore County for The Baltimore Sun and education for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. He interned at the Washington Post. He graduated from Louisiana State University.
