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Columbus City Council passes ordinance to expand neighborhood violence intervention program
The council voted to fund the program, which began 13 years ago, for another year with $725,000.
By Tara Jabour
WBNS — 10TV
The Columbus City Council passed an ordinance on Monday night that will help the Columbus Urban League’s neighborhood violence and intervention program expand its current team who serve the community.
The council voted to fund the program, which began 13 years ago, for another year with $725,000. With the council’s approval, the team of four will double to eight people.
Currently, the team of four men are on call 24/7, ready to respond when they are needed.
“They respond to help de-escalate issues, sometimes homicides, gang-related concerns happening in our community,” said Vice President Charity Martin-King.
The men are considered “credible messengers” in the city, meaning they are from and live in the neighborhoods they serve.
Rena Shak, executive director of the Office of Violence Prevention, said that relationship is key.
“If we are expecting them to assist others through difficult times then we need them to know what it’s like to live in those areas of Columbus and the experiences some of our residents have,” Shak said.
Having that familiar face can make all of the difference.
“It’s sometimes easier to reach out to someone I see in my neighborhood if I have hesitancy with other authority systems,” Martin-King said. “I know I have someone I can trust.”
They also hope to expand their work of education by going to schools and talking with kids about de-escalation.
“It can take one incident, one bad day, one bad moment where you make a decision that can change someone’s life. Showing people to de-escalate and make healthier choices is very important,” Martin-King said.
Shak said education, especially with the youth, is a big part of building a safe Columbus in the future.
“If you can address conflict resolution, mediation, anger management with individual who find themselves in that situation then you are preventing what could be a violent situation in the future,” said Shak.