Metro Mayors Coalition & the
Safe Teens/Safe Communities Coalition
Contact: Andrea Hurwitz
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
617-451-2770 ext. 2030
Lew Finfer, Massachusetts Communities Action Network
617-470-2912

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 29, 2007

 

Statewide Coalition: Successful Anti-Gang and
Youth Violence Prevention Initiative
May Be Eliminated
Group to urge increased funding in fiscal year 2008 for Shannon Community Safety Initiative

BOSTON – Today, public safety and law enforcement officers, legislators, local and state officials and community organizations gathered at the State House to urge increased funding for the Shannon Community Safety Initiative, a competitive grant program that supports gang and youth violence prevention activities across Massachusetts. Without prompt legislative action, the initiative is in danger of elimination.

“The work to improve our neighborhoods requires many contributors and much coordination, and the Shannon Community Safety Initiative helps this process to happen,” said Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash, who emceed the State House event. Ash co-chairs the Metro Mayors Coalition’s Community Safety Initiative with Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone. The Metro Mayors Coalition, a key partner in developing and implementing the Shannon Initiative, is staffed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. “We need the continued leadership of the state to provide our local communities with the resources and assistance necessary to make sure our streets are safe.”

A broad coalition of statewide partners is urging that the Shannon Community Safety Initiative, previously funded at $11 million, be funded at $30 million in the fiscal year 2008 budget to expand successful violence prevention programs in current Shannon communities and allow additional communities to participate.

“The Commonwealth needs to maintain its commitment to increasing social opportunities that empower young people, while targeting law enforcement to create safe communities for youth to prosper,” said Senator Jarrett T. Barrios, who worked with the Metro Mayors Coalition and Representative Stephen Canessa to develop the grant program. “I fully support extending and expanding the Shannon Grant because it strikes that balance, promoting youth violence prevention and intervention, and targeted law enforcement.”

-more-
Through the Initiative, 10 Metro Mayors Coalition communities received a grant that enabled the creation of new after-school and workforce development programs for at-risk youth, joint patrols of targeted hot spots, creative partnerships between community organizations and law enforcement and expanded mentoring opportunities for young people.

“The Shannon Community Safety Initiative has enabled collaboration across jurisdictions and disciplines, and it’s helped to provide services that assist many at-risk youth,” said Marc Draisen, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), which staffs the Metro Mayors Coalition. “I hope the Legislature will increase its support for this critical program to continue to prevent youth violence throughout the summer and have an even greater impact in 2008.”

The City of Boston also received a Shannon Grant to expand several youth violence prevention programs, and to target additional police resources to violent offenders.

“The Shannon Grant has proven to be very useful as we combat the growing youth crime problem in our neighborhoods,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “By providing funding for our community partners, as well as for law enforcement, the Shannon grant allows us to expand those programs that we know do succeed so that our young people have a viable option to being part of the circle of violence. I hope that the Legislature will ensure that this program is funded for this upcoming year so we can continue the progress we’ve already made.”

Diluvina Vazquez Allard of the Safe Cities/Safe Communities Coalition and the Massachusetts Communities Action Network saw the Shannon Community Safety Initiative as part of the solution to stopping violence in the Commonwealth.

"I'm mad about living in a community where I feel a fear of violence. I'm very sad about all these young people at risk and how this impacts their families,” Vazquez, who lives in Brockton, said. “Now, more than ever we need the Shannon Grant program to help turn this around.”
 

The Jarrett Barrios Website is privately paid for and authorized by
The Barrios Committee, Daniel Schlozman, Treasurer
PO Box 391254, Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 661-1805
Problems? Contact webmaster@senatorbarrios.org

Text portions, photographs, graphics, and source code © 2002-2005, The Barrios Committee. All rights reserved.
Click here for our full Privacy/Copyright/Linking Policy.