Many voices about the same problem. I have noticed that when K-12 schooling is out, homicides with young people go up, fast.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The rash of violence, especially in the past three weeks, has sparked concern among community leaders, and intensified efforts by police and city officials to stop it. It's a "trickling-down of gang activity to a younger group," said City Council Member Don Samuels, who represents some of the troubled neighborhoods on the North Side. The young people, he said, "are devoid of the more mature leadership so they have a stronger sense of immortality and are more irrational in their behavior, more spontaneous and capricious." Mayor R.T. Rybak said this week that his city will continue "to fight hard" to stop the violence, but added, "Minneapolis is a safe city for those not involved in high-risk lifestyles." He cited the city's youth jobs programs and this week's announcement that the Northway Community Trust is giving $100,000 to preserve summer recreation programs for children. This is different from the donations that police expect to announce next week. Community activist Spike Moss also believes the police force is undermanned. "I told them in the winter they were going to have a bad summer, and they still didn't do anything," he said. But he also blames a lack of jobs and economic development for the inner city. Added Ron Edwards, another community activist: "If you don't have an economic base and you don't have an income coming in, you are going to become very innovative criminally." Police say that warm weather brings more crime. Indeed, Larry McKenzie, executive director of Hospitality House, a faith organization in north Minneapolis that works with inner-city youths, said, "The streets are hot right now." He said he wasn't referring to the mercury. Council Member Natalie Johnson Lee, Samuels' council opponent in the upcoming elections, said that Moss and the Rev. Jerry McAfee have been doing for years the type of work Samuels talks about, and that she supports that effort. But she said the important job is to have good, tough policing and stronger community organizations. "Does it have the ingredients to be a trying summer for us? Yes it has," Johnson Lee said. "However, I also believe we have the ingredients in our community, with the government, with the people, and our faith-based institutions to turn this thing around just as quickly." http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5475531-2.html Shawn Lewis, Minnetonka -- ___________________________________________________________ Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
