* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Middleton
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
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National Youth Violence Prevention Week - March 18-22, 2013
FOR the purpose of recognizing March 18-22, 2013 as National Youth Violence Prevention Week and urging all Baltimoreans to use this week as an opportunity to reflect on how we can each take a stand for our children by helping to deliver the message that violence is never acceptable.
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Recitals
Making ourselves and our families safe from violence is, for most of us, an essential priority. Yet, far too many of Baltimore's youth must contend with violence, or the threat of violence, as part of their daily reality. This is not only a tragedy in and of its self, it perpetuates a cycle of victimization and violence that makes us all less safe.
National Youth Violence Prevention Week, March 18-22, is an opportunity to raise awareness about the problem of youth exposure to violence, and to educate our whole community about ways to stop or prevent violence.
One of the many tools available in Baltimore to halt the spread of violence from generation to generation that holds back our children and neighborhoods is the Health Department's Safe Streets initiative operating in Park Heights, East Baltimore, Cherry Hill, and Mondawmin. The Health Department describes Safe Streets as "a community mobilization and outreach program designed to combat shootings and homicides. This intervention targets high risk youth aged 14 to 25, through outreach and service connection, and the community as a whole, through a media campaign and community mobilization".
Healthier, safe communities benefit each of us. Our families cannot be safe if our neighborhoods are riddled with violence. Conversely, research shows that there is less crime where communities are working together. To break the cycles of victimization and violence communities must deliver a unified message that violence is no longer acceptable. Safe Streets seeks to assist with articulating this message through community organization and public education in targeted neighborhoods, but it is a message that we all must do our best to promote throughout our own communities.
During Youth Violence Prevention Week it is important to remember that by working on community-wide anti-violence efforts you are protecting yourself, your family, and your neighborhood by helping to end the cycle of violence that all too often turns today's victims into tomorrow's victimizers. It is only by coming together as a community - through programs such as Safe Streets, by reaching out in our personal lives, or by organizing with our neighbors around shared values - that we can hope to end the scourge of violence and allow today's youth to grow into their full potential unstunted by fear and anger.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Council joins with communities nationwide to recognize March 18-22 as National Youth Violence Prevention Week and urges all Baltimoreans to use this week as an opportunity to reflect on how we can each take a stand for our children by helping to deliver the message that violence is never acceptable.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Health Commissioner, the Police Commissioner, the Youth Commission, the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, the Mayor, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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