- There are new updates for one of Tallahassee’s mentorship programs to help reduce gun violence in our area.
- The violence reduction plan… a five-step strategy to reduce gun violence in the 32304 & 32301 zip codes…
- Watch the video above to hear more about the 5-step program from the Status of the council of Men and boys.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
There are new updates for one of Tallahassee’s mentorship programs…
I’m Terry Gilliam your southwest Tallahassee neighborhood reporter…
I look at what’s being done to try and reduce gun violence against males in zip codes that see it the most…
In a recent city commission meeting The Council on the Status of Men and Boys provided updates on efforts to reduce gun violence in the community…
Some of those updates include working in the school system and the community… all designed to keep men and boys from going down a path of crime…
“Our life coaches develop very trustworthy relationships with the young men we work with. When they get comfortable, they are very honest that they could easily access a gun fairly easy, or they have a gun… that’s a huge problem…”
Now, King has come up with a violence reduction plan… a five-step strategy to reduce gun violence in the 32304 & 32301 zip codes…
Those steps include focused deterrence, community engagement, prevention, outcome evaluation, and a review panel…
The Council is also partnered with the Florida State Center of Criminology and Public Policy Research…
According to their report… from 2019 to 2023, the gender of homicide victims are 61 males and seven females… numbers King hopes to see decline.
“In a short amount of time, we’ve been able to impact a lot of young men and women in our high-risk schools… I’m confident in a lot of reductions here pretty soon…”
These new plans come after their gun violence survey with 668 community members…
Out of those responses, 72% of voters selected increasing community-based youth organized activities as a solution of gun control…
It’s reasons why the Council continues to move forward with their updated plan…
“The direct service that we provide is the life coaching… that is going to be critical to the greater overall plan.”
So far, the Status of the Council of Men and Boys continues to grow with those in the community to show positive results for those living here… In Southwest Tallahassee, Terry Gilliam, ABC27.
