TAMPA, Fla. — There’s been a lot of deadly violence involving young people in our area lately. So, organizers hope a first-of-its-kind forum in East Tampa will help stop the bloodshed.
The forum, taking place at 6:30 p.m. on March 1 at the Ragan Community Center in East Tampa on Lake Avenue, is a first-of-its-kind forum, according to organizers.
The forum is expected to bring together families of those touched by youth violence and community leaders, but the goal is to hear from teenagers themselves.
Their perspective. And possible solutions.
“Grown people think one way. Children think another,” said State Rep. Dianne Hart (D) East Tampa who organized the forum.
“So, for me and for the people who are helping organize this, we hope that these kids are going to give us some ideas on what we can do to stop some of this violence in our community.”
A week earlier, Tampa Police released figures showing crime in Tampa was down by 3% over the last year and 20% over the past five years.
Organizers say parents and police are invited but would be asked to leave the room during part of the forum so that teens might feel freer to speak their minds and offer solutions.
On Tuesday in St. Petersburg, neighbors in one community are called for change after recent gun violence.
Several groups fighting to save lives in the community met at Wildwood Park, near the Jet Jackson Recreation Center. They marched around the block, asking to “stop the violence.”
The group saw a good turnout to target the people in the community who leaders say need to hear this message the most.
Wildwood Park is no stranger to gun violence, seeing a shooting just three weeks ago in the parking lot. An 18-year-old man, and two women ages 20 and 22 were shot, police say. The two women were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. That’s why this group came together in the same spot it happened.
The group walked around the neighborhood getting people out of their homes and even having some join them in support. The groups involved include The Hidden Voices Project, Quis for Life, The Well, and Moms Demand Action.