A Real Agenda for Stopping the Violence

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Guest MINDSETTER™ Concerned Citizens of Providence

"Stop the Violence” is often the rallying cry when individuals seek to motivate others to take steps to address issues of violence in their communities.  While the goal is agreeable by all parties involved, contention has remained over the appropriate strategies to implement in order to most effectively address this issue.

Following a 5 person shooting in the Chad Brown section of Providence, and in response to a Call to Action by the Providence Branch of the NAACP, a number of concerned community members have been meeting to develop a strategy to effectively address these issues within the Providence and Rhode Island community.  The ultimate goal is to develop a community agenda to serve as a roadmap for success.  As progress has been made toward this goal, a number of elements have been identified as necessary and essential to success in this regard.   

First, we must invest more resources and supports in organizations, individuals and initiatives that have a proven track record of proactively addressing violence in a preventative manner.  Currently too much funding and resources are directed towards programs and agencies that provide services that are reactionary to incidents of violence.  More funding and supports should be directed specifically to the individuals and organizations that have a proven track record of intervening in and building relationships with our most negatively impacted communities.  In this manner we can cut out middle man agencies presenting themselves as gatekeepers to the community, which will allow for more effective and efficient use of tax payer dollars and supports invested, by getting those dollars and supports in the hands of the individuals and orgs that actually do the work.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Second, we must better enforce current legislation aimed at providing employment opportunities to residents of communities in most need.  Violence occurs when individuals see no other recourse to make their voices heard and to address their life challenges.  Lack of economic opportunity is one of the key instigators of violence, and communities with less economic opportunity are prone to be more violent.   One specific initiative that is currently being litigated by Direct Action for Rights and Equality, a local nonprofit social justice organization, is the First Source Ordinance, intended to provide job opportunities for Providence residents by business entities that receive tax breaks.  Enforcing this and similar ordinances can and will have an immediate impact on the number of job opportunities available to residents of the communities in Providence most impacted by violence.

Third, we must target more Workforce Development Initiatives toward high unemployment areas throughout the state.  Our group has specifically endorsed two strategies that would be proactively and specifically effective in achieving this goal.  First, Governor Chafee should direct entities such as the Workforce Board to specifically and intentionally target a portion of their resources in these communities.  While we do acknowledge that some of this is already taking place, we are requesting that the efforts be strengthened and declared as a specific and intentional goal being pursued.  Secondly we are requesting that the Providence Economic Development Office compile a listing of and effectively promote all job training and placement programs currently available to Providence residents, so that job seekers are more easily able to identify resources available to them.   These are two initiatives that, once again, can and will have an immediate impact on deterring individuals from engaging in violence as a means of expressing their frustrations.

Fourth, we must direct more time and resources toward developing better community-police relations.  The recent shooting of Mike Brown and the subsequent reaction by Ferguson residents is a specific example of the danger that we as a community face when we do not ensure that the community has a quality and respectful relationship with law enforcement.  Our group is specifically endorsing three initiatives in this regard; establishing community liaisons to serve as direct intermediaries with the Providence Police Department, supporting the “Providence Community Safety Act” aimed at holding local law enforcement more accountable for actions of unprofessional law enforcement agents, and working with local leadership to draft legislation requiring all Providence Law Enforcement Representatives wear video cameras while on duty.

Violence is not something intrinsic to our communities.  Rather, much of it is born of the conditions created when economic, political, and social systems too often neglect the everyday realities and needs of our most marginalized and vulnerable community members.  In order to "Stop the Violence" we must urgently attend to these systems so that they promote opportunity, integrity, and respect for ALL members of our society.

Related Articles

• 5 People Shot in Providence’s Chad Brown Area
• Chad Brown-East Side Gang Rivalries Fueling Providence Shootings
• LISTEN: Can Anyone Stop the East Side-Chad Brown 25 Year Gang Rivalry?
• Can Anyone Stop the East Side-Chad Brown 25 Year Gang Rivalry?

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.