“What do we want? A Community Center!” Those were the chants by community advocates, elected officials and residents who joined together for A Rally Against Gun Violence, at Rockaway Parkway and Glenwood Road, near the “L” train station, on Sunday, June 12th.
The Flossy Organization’s founder and president, Jibreel Jalloh, denounced gun violence and demanded that Mayor Eric Adams fully fund a Cure Violence site within the 69th Precinct, claiming, “It’s long overdue to curb and stem gun violence plaguing our neighborhood. The rally was held six days after the mayor visited Canarsie for a public safety announcement.
Cure Violence is a community based anti-violence method, where violence interrupters, rather than police, de-escalate potentially violent situations, step in to the aftermath of violence to prevent those involved from continuing the cycle and form connections in the community to address the root causes of violence, change cultural norms and behaviors, and guide and mentor teens at risk for potential incarceration.
In attendance was Councilman Charles Barron who said, “We have to focus on what creates violence. More violent than guns is poverty. More violent than guns is unemployment. More violent than guns is a lack of mental health services.”
“We need more resources; Eric Adams is the one that came into office talking about intervention and prevention,” Jalloh said. “He said that we need both. He announced gang takedowns, nevertheless we know we can’t arrest our way out of this issue. But the disappointing part really is that you have other communities who are not minorities calling for specific initiatives, and the mayor fulfills their demands.”
The 69th Precinct has tallied 13 shooting incidents year to date, compared to 11 last year, an 18.2% increase.
The community is asking for a dedicated site. Why are we left out?