WASHINGTON — Neighbors at a community meeting in Southeast D.C. Wednesday night had a lot to say about violence in the city because a lot of people in the meeting have been affected by the recent spike in crime.
Along with police officers, prosecutors, a councilmember, and other officials, neighbors filled a dozen tables to have hard discussions at THEARC Theater. The Mississippi Avenue neighborhood around the venue, like too many neighborhoods this past weekend, weathered a violent Fourth of July.
"We want safe environments," said Amanda Beale who came with her son and husband. "We live here. We should live in a safe environment."
"We're confident that the answers are already in the community," said Scott Katz with Building Bridges Across the River who helped convene this conversation.
A wide range of ideas came out of it - from a no questions asked policy for parents who turn in guns they find, to mental health services in neighborhoods where people can actually reach them.
"We're trying to battle against the cynicism that, 'this is just the way it's going to be and it's always going to be here,'" said Katz. "Most importantly, having these series of strategies be driven by local residents is absolutely critical to the success."
Katz says he and the other organizers will take the ideas generated at the meeting to the people in power.
The immediate focus is for short term solutions to curb violence during the remaining summer months when kids are out of school.