With violent crime on the rise again, and more kids committing those crimes, leaders in Prince George’s County admit the solution isn’t just more government.
But a new program that county leaders announced Monday hopes to harness the ability of government — along with local community groups already in action — to help turn things around.
County Executive Angela Alsobrooks admitted she is frustrated by what’s going on, and she acknowledged that the solution goes beyond policing and government programs.
Instead, an initiative called “The Hope Collective” will coordinate with nonprofit groups to diffuse violence and provide “hope” to kids who just stopped caring about life and their communities — and show them a different way.
“A lot of kids don’t see that adults care enough,” said Euniesha Davis, the director of Prince George’s County’s Office of Community Relations.
“Being able to position them in a place where they’re able to take advantage of the opportunity, and by showcasing and modeling positive behavior, we believe that we can bring back kids to what I’d say is the good side, right?”
“The program uses four strategies to reduce gun violence,” said Alsobrooks. That includes “peacekeepers” she said, to go with diversionary programs for offenders and non-offenders.
More funding also will go toward afterschool enrichment programs, as well as programs that target food insecurity, she said.
The last prong is the county’s violence prevention task force, which includes 20 different people from varying backgrounds who will “meet and identify areas of critical need where we need more resources and will work on a plan to ensure that we get resources in the areas that need them the most.”
Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz praised the diversified approach to the problem that ensures “we do everything we can not only to combat crime but to uplift and empower our children and to unify our community.”
But at the beginning of the news conference, Alsobrooks made clear that the most effective way to stem the tide involves parents doing more. The county executive is also the mother of a 16-year-old daughter, and she recounted how important it is for her to drive her daughter to school every day to talk to her. She begged the county’s other parents to do the same thing.
“Please, ma’am, please, sir, do me a favor,” she pleaded.
“Sit these kids down and ask them what’s going on. Don’t miss the chance to connect with your child and ask them what they’re seeing, what they feel, what their hopes are, what their concerns are, what their fears are.”
It’s also important, she said, to ask kids why they feel what’s happening is occurring.
“Do me a favor and listen. Listen. Please let’s listen to our children,” she added. “We have got to get into our children’s business. It is critical.”
Alsobrooks said that having those conversations with her own daughter has taught her lots, and that she hopes more of those discussions will help county leaders find the right answers.
