Contact: Andrea Hurwitz
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
617-451-2770 ext. 2030
ANTI-GANG SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS
SUCCESSES,
CALLS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING
Community and public safety leaders encourage additional
resources and collaboration to combat youth violence and gang activity
BOSTON – More than 150 people participated in the
November 16 Community Safety Summit, hosted by the
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and its Metro
Mayors Coalition to advance strategies to combat youth
violence and drug abuse in Massachusetts. Participants
included municipal and law enforcement officials,
community and faith-based leaders, legislators, and
other stakeholders from across the state.
At the Community Safety Summit, public safety leaders
discussed creative regional and comprehensive strategies
to address youth and gang violence. MAPC’s Metro Mayors
Coalition, which played a key role in developing the $11
million Senator Charles Shannon Community Safety
Initiative that passed last year, hosted the Community
Safety Summit for the second time. Participants in the
November 16 summit expressed their appreciation for the
Shannon Grant, and voiced support for an additional year
of funding.
“The Shannon Grant program opened the door for
interdisciplinary collaboration between police and
community groups,” said State Senator Jarrett T.
Barrios, who worked with the Metro Mayors Coalition to
develop the grant program. “In one year, the program
helped the police departments in my district to
collaborate with community groups to reduce crime by
proactively targeting violence at its source.”
Senate President Robert Travaglini, Speaker Salvatore
DiMasi, Chairwoman Therese Murray, Chairman Robert DeLeo,
Senator Jarrett Barrios and Representative Stephen
Canessa helped to advance the Senator Charles Shannon
Community Safety Initiative from a concept to a reality
for cities and towns across Massachusetts. Since its
passage in December 2005, the $11 million in state
resources has supported comprehensive, regional, and
multi-disciplinary strategies to combat gang and youth
violence.
“Mayors, community-based organizations, and law
enforcement professionals have made substantial progress
in working together and building trust to combat gang
and youth violence in our cities,” said Revere Mayor
Thomas Ambrosino, Chairman of the Metro Mayors
Coalition. “The Legislature should be applauded for its
leadership in providing additional resources to address
gang violence through a multi-faceted regional approach.
I hope the Legislature continues to support the Shannon
Grant so we can continue to make progress.”
Public Safety Secretary Robert C. Haas attended the
summit and spoke to the importance of the grant program.
“Reducing gang violence requires well planned and
closely coordinated effort,” said Secretary Haas. “These
important grants are funding regional and
multi-disciplinary prevention and intervention
initiatives in communities that need the most help.”
The Shannon Grant recipients included MAPC and the
following communities, many of which established
coalitions of multiple communities: Brockton; Fall
River; Fitchburg; Haverhill; Holyoke/Chicopee; Lawrence;
Lowell; Lynn; New Bedford; Salem; Springfield; Taunton;
and Worcester.
Other participants and speakers at the Community Safety
Summit included Mayor Thomas Menino, Somerville Mayor
Joseph Curtatone, Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash, Senator
Jarrett Barrios, Middlesex District Attorney-Elect Gerry
Leone, and Northeastern University’s Jack McDevitt.
Senate President Robert Travaglini attended and was
honored for his work in creating the Shannon Grant.
“It is increasingly clear that any serious effort to
deal with youth violence and drug abuse in our
communities must cross jurisdictional and disciplinary
boundaries. We cannot work in isolation, and we cannot
see this issue as simply a law enforcement problem,”
said Marc Draisen, executive director of the
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). “The
Community Safety Summit brought together major
stakeholders and leaders around a common agenda of
comprehensive, regional, and multi-disciplinary
strategies to deal with youth violence and drug abuse.”
The Metro Mayors Coalition consists of 12 mayors and
city and town managers who are committed to finding
regional solutions to common problems. Leaders from
Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden,
Medford, Melrose, Quincy, Revere, Somerville and
Winthrop participate in the Coalition, which was
actively involved in developing the Senator Charles
Shannon Community Safety Initiative.
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) developed
the Metro Mayors Coalition in 2001 and continues to
staff the Coalition today. MAPC is the regional planning
agency for 101 Metro Boston communities, promoting
inter-local coordination and advocating for the region’s
sustainable growth and development. More information
about MAPC is available at
www.mapc.org.
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last updated
01-Dec-2006 11:19 AM
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