City group aims to stem violence

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Community leaders in Grand Rapids launched an anti-violence program Wednesday.

The idea is to put groups of volunteers - peacemakers - on the streets and in parks, talking to youth in the city's Third Ward - basically the southeast side - but also connecting those youth to jobs and services.

"We're going to send men out in groups of four," city commissioner James White told 24 Hour News 8 from one of the places the program plans to target, King Park. "They will go out for, say, four hours approximately and each day, it'll be a different team."

The teams will target those specific areas -- and the volunteers will be trained so they know not just how to talk, but how to help connect youth to community services that can provide them with education and work.

"So if a young person says, 'I want to try to get a job, (a) part-time job,' you say, 'Well, go to Jubilee Jobs or Project Cool, see if they can get you a job."

The program was announced Wednesday morning. White spoke, along with fellow commissioner Elias Lumpkins and police chief Kevin Belk.

"We're here because we love our community and we understand that our young folks face a lot of challenges in their lives, a lot of challenges that none of us had to face," Lumpkins said.

Belk said although the city has seen "a decrease in violence over the last couple of years, it's still far too high and we need to see a reduction in that."

The crime statistics have dropped since 2004.

In 2004, there were 2071 violent crimes -- murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- in Grand Rapids. In 2005, there were 2110, but it dropped to 1974 in 2006. Then, in 2007, it went up to 2065, but dropped again in 2008 to 1974.

White said the numbers need to keep going down.

But what does he have to say to critics, who say existing anti-violence programs have not stopped the problem, and that talking to youth will not prevent some from acting out? 

"I say to them, nothing beats a failure, but you gotta try," White said. "You always have an impact. Maybe not the one you want, and maybe not right away. If you work with young people, you realize that sometimes you might speak to them now, and only a year later will it register with them and they begin to change their thinking."

Training for volunteers is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Divine Grace Ministries, at the corner of Fuller Avenue and Franklin Street SE, in Grand Rapids.