Category: News || By

A newly installed city councilor says she's going to "keep on talking" about violence because she's "tired of going to funerals."

But suggestions by Councilwoman V. Fawn Walker that the city isn't doing enough to stop teen-agers from committing gun crimes have brought sharp rebuttals from Mayor Jim Brewster.

Their latest disagreement came at Tuesday night's council work session, where Walker invited Richard Garland, director of the Pittsburgh-based One Vision, One Life project, to speak.

. . .

An ex-gang member from Philadelphia, Garland uses ex-cons to mentor and "scare straight" violent teen offenders. His street teams also act as a rapid-response unit after violent crimes, sweeping into neighborhoods to discourage retaliation and encourage witnesses to speak up.

Garland's approach would be a useful addition to the city's crime-prevention programs, Walker said. "I think we need to do more," she said. "I've been saying it all along, and I'm going to keep on saying it."

But Brewster --- who has dedicated an increasing amount of time to fighting the city's image problem --- said calling in an outside agency sends the wrong message.

. . .

"I have no problem with (Garland), but if we over-dramatize this, we send a message that this is a bad place to be, and that's wrong," Brewster said.

The mayor said he would leave the decision whether to include Garland and One Vision in the city's crime-fighting efforts up to police Chief Bryan Washowich. "He has the latitude to call him if he needs him," Brewster said.

The city's existing teen outreach programs, run in cooperation with police, the McKeesport Ministerium, the school district and several local non-profit groups, are already making a difference, the mayor said.

. . .

Walker said the current approach "has been successful," but that it's reaching only "the safe kids" who are attending school or church.

This "quiet approach" is missing the "hard cases" who are already committing crimes and are in the system, Walker said.

"Why not bring in a group that would have that rapport?" she said. "We have to acknowledge that this is an issue, because I've talked to a lot of residents, black and white, who think we're ignoring it."

. . .

One Vision is currently active in Pittsburgh neighborhoods such as Homewood, Garfield and the Hill District. Garland has been known to walk the streets after a shooting or other violent crime and use a bullhorn to ask residents to come out of their homes.

Brewster is afraid those kinds of activities will attract unwanted media attention. "I think we do ourselves a disservice with those kinds of tactics," he said. "When Channel 4 shows up, we're in a bad way."

One Vision doesn't court the media, Garland said. "We're not going to come into McKeesport to give you a bad name," he said. "The only thing I'm here for is I don't want to see (any) more young African-American kids killed. But McKeesport is going to get a bad name if killings continue to happen."

. . .

There were eight homicides in the city in 2009. Six of the victims were African-American males, according to the New Pittsburgh Courier.

Like Walker, Garland said the city's existing outreach efforts aren't bad. "I'm talking about trying to reach the five to 10 percent of kids who aren't talking to anybody," he said.

Retired basketball coach and high school teacher Gerald "Pudding" Grayson, who volunteers in Brewster's crime prevention efforts, attended Tuesday's meeting and said he found Garland's work and attitude encouraging.

. . .

"He didn't have to come here," Grayson said. "To me it was enlightening to see him."

Too many residents are unwilling to speak out, he said. "There's a lot of talking going on in McKeesport, but nobody wants to come here (to city council) or to the school board and stand up and be a representative."

That alone makes Garland unique, Grayson said: "I don't know him, but he came to my town and he wants to help."

You should type something in the 'comment'-field. Be sure to click on 'Post Comment' to store it permanently.