A conversation about crime and violence

HARRISBURG, Aug. 2 – State Rep. Ronald Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., recently hosted a “Fathers and Sons Conversation” on crime and violence at the Myers Recreation Center.

News of a police investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl prompted Waters to organize the meeting. Five teenage boys were arrested in connection to the incident, and Waters thought it fitting to stage the “conversation” at the same recreation center where the atrocity allegedly occurred.

“We don’t need any fancy statistics to know that violent crimes happen more frequently in our community than in some others, but the alarm has definitely sounded when this type of egregious act can allegedly take place at one of our youth centers, a place that was built for the very purpose of providing security and sanctuary for our children,” Waters said before the meeting.

Waters, whose resolution (H.R. 659) declares youth violence as a public health epidemic, facilitated the discussion for the evening. The dialogue spanned an array of topics and concerns, from basic communication between adults and children, to developing codes of conduct, morals, respect, and other values to teach young men and young women.

According to Waters, the consensus amongst everyone in the room was that there is much needed change in the community concerning children and youth, and most agreed that any solution would have to start with parents instructing and disciplining their children in the home.

There was a portion of the conversation where speakers spent time admonishing parents and pointing out their culpability in the degeneration of core values in children, but parents also voiced their concerns with the lack of support by agencies that interfere with domestic matters and support children over reasonable household rules.

A number of community organizations had representatives in attendance, and they each had an opportunity to share information about their own public safety programs. The idea was to suggest a number of different approaches in order to collaboratively develop a working strategy. Members of the community and Waters were invited to attend the next monthly meeting of each organization.

In the end, there was a commitment on behalf of Waters and leaders to develop a separate, roundtable discussion to be attended by community leaders, community organizations, members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, members of the Black Clergy, and other religious organizations. This roundtable discussion will continue the discourse of the initial meeting, and specifically focus on how to implement the strategies that were suggested.

Community leaders who attended include: District Attorney Seth Williams; Captain Kevin Hodges, 12^th Police District; Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross; Municipal Judge James DeLeon; Captain Anthony Muhammad, Fruit of Islam Mos. 12; Brother Lamond Muhammad; Black Clergy President Rev. Terrance Griffith; and Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell