Taking on the street gangs
Yesterday’s Boston Globe featured articles regarding new security cameras on MBTA buses, promises from Governor Patrick for increased funding to combat youth violence, and a Supreme Judicial Court ruling that the identity of jurors be kept secret in gang-related murders. These changes are attempts to deal with the problems of gang violence. It’s no secret there have been several recent attacks that have been particularly disturbing and have brought the gang issue to the forefront again, but the truth is it’s been a problem for a long time and it isn’t going away anytime soon. The governor’s plan is to establish a statewide anticrime council and add $1 million for summer jobs grants. It’s not clear how much of this additional funding will make it to Lowell, but the city has made great use of the Shannon Grant, which is not in the governor’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, but absolutely should be re-instated by the legislature. (Local reps are aware of the grant’s importance and seem committed to continued funding.) Worth more than $800,000 to Lowell for gang prevention programs, the grant was split between the police, the schools—who used it for truancy and family outreach—and youth providers such as UTEC, ONE Lowell, the Parks, and the Boys and Girls Club.
Lowell’s Gang Prevention Task Force Advisory Board, which meets monthly, has developed its own set of actions—much of it the outcome of several Gang Prevention Summits over the last few years. On Monday, the board met for an update on City Manager Bernie Lynch’s plan to get more businesses to provide summer jobs for youth. Expanding job opportunities is one way to engage youngsters in positive activities, especially during the summer when there is often an increase in gang activity. Using the Career Center to provide job training and other support to help teens become successful employees, the board’s goal is to get more businesses involved as partners in our community by providing them with tax and recognition incentives. Solving the gang issue requires strong collaboration—something Lowell is known for being able to do—and is the only way we will make headway with this complex issue.