Speakers share experiences with violent crime at stop the violence press conference
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Surrounded by children and concerned residents, elected officials and community leaders held a stop the violence press conference in the Hill District on Friday.
At the event, speakers shared their personal experiences with violent crime. These are experiences that Mayor Ed Gainey is working to prevent by doing things like putting money into after-school services at the Ammon Recreation Center, where Friday's conference took place.
"If we want to take them out of the streets, we got to provide an alternative life for them," said Gainey.
The mayor also announced nearly $1 million in micro-grants to more than 40 groups across the area that have stakes in violence reduction initiatives.
"We want to continue to make sure facilities like this have hot meals, continue to bring the kids here, expand programming. This city is not the best at programming, of course, but we know we have providers out there that can do an excellent job," the mayor said.
Funding like this has already helped groups like REACH expand services. It has more than 40 people working daily to keep kids off the streets and stop the violence before it starts.
Vaughn Rivers, a REACH supervisor, told KDKA, "We do trips. We work with the city to partner with some of the police in a way that we show up for the community to be that liaison and work side by side to build that bridge."
Mayor Gainey also stressed on Friday that there are programs going on in each city zone. He says the city is working to establish a resource book for parents.
But in the meantime, Gainey is encouraging people to call the mayor's office for information about different programs children can participate in.