New York, NY (December 6, 2011) – Last week Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Edward McLaughlin sentenced the leader of the 137^th Street gang to 20 years in prison. During his sentencing he lectured families to take responsibility for their children. The New York Urban League (NYUL) believes that it will take more than just families to solve the violence crisis that plagues urban neighborhoods. On December 1^stHarlem residents, public safety officials and local nonprofits came together for the New York Urban League (NYUL) Annual Meeting, Law and Disorder: Developing Partnerships for Peace.

In preparation for the Annual Meeting, hundreds of Harlem residents participated in an online survey focused on community safety. NYUL’s goal was to spearhead a discussion with key stakeholders about how to address the issue of violence and its impact on youth in the community based on feedback from the survey. Findings from the survey showed that the community believes the three leadingroot causes of crime and violence in communities are the prevalence of guns, gang activity, and a lack of positive activity for youth.  Respondents also recommended more police presence, more positive activities for teens, and jobs for adults as needed actions to reduce crime.

Earlier this year, NYUL called upon leadership from the city and the Harlem community for Harlem Dialogues – a half-day think tank focused on how to restore safety to the neighborhoods plagued with violence.  The conversation continued at this year’s Annual Meeting held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture with a panel discussion led by WNBC News Anchor, DeMarco Morgan, which included NYPD Chief of Community Affairs, Philip Banks, III; Iesha Sekou, Founder and Executive Director of Street Corner Resources; Harlem Youth Council participants L’Eunice Faust and Blake Tirado; and Arva Rice, President and CEO of the New York Urban League.

The evening served as an introduction of the NYUL’s Harlem Youth Council, which was created as a result of feedback from the Harlem Dialogues.  The council is comprised of young adults from more than 10 youth agencies who will work closely with NYUL to provide a younger perspective on the issues they face and the viability of solutions to community violence.

Iesha Sekou stressed the importance of this discussion. “Our kids are in turmoil.  This is a crisis and we cannot just put a band-aid on it, “ she said.  “Many kids don’t have positive role models to look up to,” observed 15-year-old Blake Tirado. 16-year- old L’Eunice Faust agreed and said, “Most teens are not aware of the positive programs that exist and many turn to gangs to be a part of something.”

Arva Rice commented, "We are all part of ‘gangs’ such as our church, our work friends, or a social group.  These are just positive influences rather than negative.  We need kids to have more positive influences.” She continued, “The New York Urban League is working with professionals and corporations to get more involved and have an active, positive influence on young people’s lives.”

NYPD Chief Banks, a father of three, stressed the importance of being actively involved in young people’s lives and applauded the efforts of community groups to reach at-risk kids.  Chief Banks sees the creation of the Juvenile Justice Division, led by Assistant Commissioner Kevin O’Connor, who was in the audience, as an important way to seek out at-risk kids and keep them out of the criminal justice system.  Chief Banks encouraged attendees to develop relationships with their Precincts’ Commanding Officers and to attend monthly Precinct Community Councils to voice their concerns and help the NYPD rebuild trust with the community.

About New York Urban League (NYUL)

For more than 90 years, New York Urban League has advocated on behalf of underserved New Yorkers to ensure equal opportunities in education, employment and civil rights. With a presence in all five boroughs of New York, the League seeks to eliminate those barriers that hinder people from improving their social and economic conditions. Since 1971, NYUL has provided more than $20M in scholarship funds to help college hopefuls pursue higher education.  New York Urban League is one of 98 local affiliates of the National Urban League, a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities.

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