Dozens Turn Out For Meeting About North Side Violence
BRIGHTON HEIGHTS (KDKA)- Dozens of residents attended a meeting in Brighton Heights about a recent surge in violence on the North Side.
A town hall meeting was held Tuesday night at the Brightwood Civic Group to highlight to recent rise in violence in the Marshall-Shadeland and Brighton Heights neighborhoods.
"Woodland Avenue is a war zone," said Donald Wood, a resident of the Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood.
Wood showed up at the meeting with bumps and bruises on his face. He said he was jumped by several young men on Monday.
"My home has been shot up three times since living there," said Wood. "My cousin got killed up there, the neighborhood just went to hell."
Mayor Bill Peduto's Chief of Staff, Kevin Acklin, was at last night's meeting. He says the city is working to be more "offensive" against violence.
"Too often we're showing up in communities after these incidents. We have violence that's changing the character of the community," said Acklin.
Residents are calling for more police officers walking the beat in these neighborhoods. They also say the city needs to bring more programs to the neighborhoods to get children off the streets and to start evicting people who are causing problems in the neighborhood.
"Education is huge," said one of the meeting speakers. "Enough is enough, turn the lights on, make yourself visible, take your neighborhood back."
Residents plan on compiling a list of suggestions and sending those ideas to the mayor.
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