SOUTHEAST RALEIGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROPOSAL
Submitted to: City Councilman West October, 2008
PRESENTED BY This proposal is being presented by the following local groups and individuals: (YOUR SUPPORT IS BEING SOLICITED AND YOUR NAME OR THAT OF YOUR ORGANIZATION WILL BE ADDED HERE AS ONE OF MANY PRESENTERS IF YOU AGREE)
CURRENT SITUATION • • • • • • • • • • Raleigh’s 2008 homicide statistics are for the first time rivaling those of Durham 17 of Raleigh’s 27 homicides have taken place in Southeast Raleigh in 2008 Many of these homicides are gang related The Mayor’s office and City Council are now committed to turning this around The underlying cause of these homicides has been identified as “poverty” The City desires firstly to stop further enlistment of local youths into area gangs The City realizes that funds must be dedicated to reverse this trend The City realizes that the Southeast community must be enlisted as part of the solution The City has asked Councilman West to speak to the local CAC for ideas This proposal is an idea presented to Councilman West toward this end
NEIGHBORHOOD CLIMATE • There are many children in the Southeast area who come from low income, single parent homes, have little adult supervision, and routinely “run the streets” with peer groups • These children are targeted by gang members from a very early age (age 5+) and wooed into the “family” atmosphere which the gangs afford • This situation has been ongoing for years, and is deeply entrenched • Owing to this atmosphere, the children in this neighborhood have been exposed to numerous situations well beyond their years • Traditional after-school programs do not hold the interest of these children • Following rules and laws is often not nearly as glamorous as the criminal lifestyle which surrounds them and which is reinforced daily about them (often with serious consequences)
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE 1
• Disconnect the youth in Southeast Raleigh from the gangs by giving them something far more valuable and inspiring to invest their energies in • Help to alleviate the poverty in Southeast Raleigh, which has been identified by the City as the underlying cause of escalating crime • Ensure that the lower income residents of Southeast Raleigh contribute to and participate in the ongoing, prosperous growth of Raleigh and feel just as much a vital part of the community as all other residents of Raleigh • Establish a much stronger law enforcement presence in Southeast Raleigh to route-out gang activity over a predetermined span of time
STRATEGY THEORY • Everybody these days wants to be a “star!” (American Idol, Hip-Hop, Rap, MTV, etc.) • The gang mentality allows these kids to be a “star” with bank rolls of cash in the thousands in their pockets, a gun in their belt, a “pad” of their own before age 15 or 16, and “respect” from their peer groups (even if initiated by fear) • This is a very important component tied to self-esteem and genuine recognition, both of which many of Southeast Raleigh’s youths seek to establish in the gang setting since they do not get it sufficiently within the law-abiding community • “It takes a village to raise a child:” The gang village is currently raising our youth in Southeast Raleigh; it will take all of Raleigh to pitch in and lend a hand in order to lift these youths out of the gang-raising curriculum back into our community with a productive lifestyle, through which they will be able to contribute positively to and impact the world around them
STRATEGY • Develop a multi-faceted Talent Program for the youth of Southeast Raleigh – giving everyone a chance to become a “STAR!”; this program will include athletics (double-dutch jump roping competitions, basketball, golf, singing, tennis, swimming), dancing, music arrangement, drama, painting, jewelry making, pottery, other art programs, fashion (clothes making – sewing), gardening/landscaping, and whatever other interests that these kids have) • Provide opportunities for these kids to engage in their talent DAILY • Talents programs can be administered through the Raleigh Parks & Rec facilities, with a much bolstered budget • An additional facility could be established at the currently closed Winn Dixie Supermarket at New Bern & King Charles (kids could be bussed here, allowed commuters to utilize the parking lots for commuter parking as proposed by Southeast Raleigh CAC Chairman Danny Coleman) • Weekly and monthly objectives can be set for each child’s progress in their chosen talent; each child will receive compensation for progressing in their chosen field according to their milestones (compensation can take the form of vouchers for clothes, food and equipment toward their chosen talent) • Quarterly talent shows – or competitions can be held throughout Raleigh, culminating in a state and national competition against those in their particular field (for example: flying the 2
double-dutch girls across the county for a national competition); winners of this competition can obtain all expense paid vouchers to national camps in their chosen talent to help them progress even further • One talent can be television producing through our local Channel 10 and the Martin Street production studio; Kids who choose the talent of television program producing can have the responsibility of documenting the other various talent programs in progress, showing the kids progress on Channel 10 daily, filming the quarterly talent shows, ultimately tying into national broadcasting when the national competitions are established; This way, people will actually be “stars” right from the beginning; only those people will be shown on television who are meeting the program criteria and progressing through their individual milestones; • Specific criteria would be set in order to engage in the talent program (and thereby obtain cash in the form of vouchers to very cool outlets, be on television, and have a chance to be a national “star”); Criteria includes: Community Service – a certain number of hours per month (perhaps reaching out to senior citizens in local rest homes, picking up trash, erasing graffiti, etc.); No Gang Affiliations; Academic Standards – in school, with an acceptable grade point average; • Various local community organizations can be enlisted to help in this outreach, including local churches, non-profits, universities and social departments of colleges, all in creative, out-of-the-box ways; • Local businesses in Southeast Raleigh can become part of this talent-based program in a unique way as well; perhaps they would like to sponsor a particular talent by providing free services (hair cuts, etc.) to winners, post photographs on a “talent wall” established in each business; show-up to competitions once monthly or quarterly to encourage local youths to do their best; etc. • The city could utilize its leverage and finances to bring in national experts (artists, professors, lecturers, fashion designers, celebrities and athletes) to speak to and encourage kids in clinics in the various talent groups; • Perhaps some of the kids’ talents could be enacted within the city systems: such as the fashion talent kids designing a cool, yet age appropriate school uniform with a top national designer; decorating the RDU Airport and other government buildings and facilities with the artwork created by our local youths; putting a children’s representative on the city council to give a voice and greater ownership to area youths; • Instead of building houses right now on the State Street Project as Danny Coleman pointed out in today’s volatile housing market, perhaps we can develop community gardens for families in Southeast Raleigh, so that interested citizens can learn to grow their own food – especially in these times of economic hardship; this would be another way to put money back into the community to alleviate poverty; also, community gardens have proven to be an excellent tool to help turn communities around and help local citizens take greater pride in their environment; NC State would be an excellent partner for such a program, with college students mentoring community kids, learning from one another in a dynamic setting;
FUNDING At the September Southeast Raleigh CAC meeting, Councilman West stated that the city of Raleigh is very serious about the situation in Southeast Raleigh, and fully realizes that dollars must be focused on this issue in order to turn it around. While this program would take funding, 3
it could also attract many volunteers, and help the city of Raleigh realize its other primary objectives. Thus, implementing a program which ultimately puts tax dollars back into the pockets of those who will turn their own community around, ends up being a win-win situation for all concerned.
LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE • There are currently 12 officers who canvass the entire Southeast Raleigh area per shift; we feel that this is insufficient, and targeted programs need to be incorporated; • One program might include the Ice Cream Trucks; many of the ice cream trucks in Southeast Raleigh are selling “ice cream” at ten o’clock at night; their jingles are often less than innocent sounding; many people believe that they deliver far more than ice cream. We would like to suggest raising the permit process to such a level that squeezes these trucks out; The City could purchase a few ice cream trucks, man them with undercover personnel; offer very discounted foods, including some healthy choices, and put lots of information about the community talent program on the trucks to encourage local participation. This will provide a set of eyes and ears inside the streets of the community, adding assistance where necessary to truly route – out the dangerous and unwanted elements; • Taxicabs are another circumspect business operating in Southeast Raleigh, standards and permits for which could definitely use some revisiting;
BENEFITS • Make Southeast Raleigh a safe place to live • Significantly impact the lives of the youths in Southeast Raleigh for the better • Put Raleigh on the map as far as turning around trouble areas of the city; making citizen’s a priority by spending tax dollars where they can have a significant impact on the lives of those in need; further Raleigh’s goal of becoming an “art” and “family” based city; launch Raleigh into the national spot light with a highly progressive program that doesn’t spot light the talents of just a few (such as American Idol) – but actually celebrates the talents of all, valuing every human life within its city limits! • Raleigh can become a national standard bearer for how to turn difficult and escalating problems of gang violence in under-privileged communities into flourishing caldrons of creativity and equality • Raleigh’s communities will grow ever closer together as its citizens learn the meaning of community outreach and service • Raleigh could garner millions of dollars in free, national Public Relations for all of the talent projects and implementation techniques that it employs • This is a win-win program for everyone involved
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