NEW YORK—Harlem’s residents are witnessing an increase of violence among their youth.
A press conference was held on the corner of 132nd Street and 5th Avenue Monday afternoon. “We picked this spot because it’s central to the violence,” said Pastor Vernon Williams, a member of the Harlem Clergy and Community Leaders Coalition. Across the intersection there was a large blue “TND” painted on an abandoned grocery. “That stands for Thugs Never Die; they come over here from different blocks and then the kids from here go and get revenge,” said Williams.
“Monday through Friday between 2 and 8 p.m. is when the majority of the violence happens in this area, the kids are getting out of school and there’s a lot of people out here” said Williams. “10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday is when the older kids come out and get in trouble.” “For the next couple of weeks, we’re going to come out here in numbers for a particular hour or hours each day and we’re going to be a positive presence in this community during the hours of violence,” said Williams.
“We know what the days of the violence are and we’re going to target the days and hours of violence.” Children as young as 9 and 10 years old have been involved in violent crimes against other kids.
According to Barbara Nelson, President of the 301 Tenants Association, the violence is basically over “turf.” “It’s all separated, 129th Street to 132nd, 133rd to 136th St.,” said Nelson.
“These kids are killing each other. If they’re traveling alone,and they’re not from the block, they become a target for the kids who run around here.” “It’s not like they’re organized gangs either, they’re just kids.” “This is nothing new but it has to stop, this escalating violence has been going on far too long,” said Carlton Berkley, a member of 100 Blacks In Law Enforcement Who Care.
“It has made our seniors, mothers, children, brothers, and our sisters scared to come out to go to the store.” “We’re calling on leaders from both groups to meet at Pastor Williams church,” said Berkley.
“In the strictest confidentiality we are not going to name the groups that are involved, because the police will not be involved. We are not going away, we’re going to seek you out some way, and somehow, we’re going to come to a truce where this violence is going to stop.” “We don’t want to be misquoted but we know that the economic situation here in Harlem is part of the problem,” said Berkley.
“We’re not saying that when the economic situation hits Harlem we turn to guns but we are saying that part of the problem is the economic situation where our centers which served as safe havens for me and others when I came up in this neighborhood are not open.”
Williams urged community members to get involved as a preventative measure rather than to wait until something bad happened to them. “This is not people from other countries attacking us, this is kids from our own neighborhoods,” he said.
The Harlem Clergy and Community Leaders Coalition is a group that works proactively to fight violence in the community without police aid. The coalition is comprised of religious leaders and concerned community members who feel the desire to improve their neighborhood by standing up against violence.
