CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The group tasked by Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles to address ways to reduce youth crime in the Queen City shared some of its findings with city leaders on Monday, saying it will take a community-wide effort.
Charlotte City Council's Housing, Safety and Community committee held its April meeting to discuss what it found, including a detailed look at evidence-based programs that are showing promise in other major cities, including San Francisco.
The group also looked at the progress of programs already in use in Charlotte, like Alternatives to Violence. That program, which has shown to reduce crime in several Charlotte areas, could be in jeopardy due to a lack of funding, according to City Manager Marcus Jones. The money funding the ATV program in one of the Queen City's most violent areas is expected to run out this summer and there's still no announced plan to keep all of the ATV sites up and running.
Research shows that there are several factors that help foster youth crime, including access to resources, exposure to trauma and a lack of support from families in many communities where there's been a dramatic increase in youth crime.
"We can't do this without family members. Even as a therapist, I say we have to have caregivers involved," Dr. April Alexander, the director of UNC Charlotte's violence prevention center, said. "And I always say caregivers, not just parents, because we know that families are interconnected. We know community members serve as family members. So, how do we have trust in and support adults being invested in this work?"
The group plans to release its final recommendations to the council in May.
Contact Richard DeVayne at rdevayne@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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