BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — 7 Eyewitness News asked community leaders and advocates for tangible ways to stop violence in the city.
Buffalo’s Common Council president Darius Pridgen says he has buried more women and children in the recent years than ever before.
He has an easter event planned that focuses on how to keep our kids alive.
Pridgen says there are three things we can do to stop the violence.
- Identify the killings as a ‘crisis’
- Stress the importance of an education “There are very few people with master’s degrees getting arrested for homicide,” said Pridgen.
- Cooperate with police and come forward with information “They can’t do this on their own.”
Fajri Ansari has been helping coordinate the “Putting the ‘neighbor’ back in the ‘hood’” event for almost 25 years in Buffalo.
This year it will be held in August.
He says a large part of the violence begins in the homes with children having their spirit killed and going into the streets with anger, hatred, and violence.
Pastor James Giles agrees.
His SNUG and Peacekeeper organizations often aim to be a father figure or mentor for young men.
Giles says young people are going into the streets and settling disputes with guns instead of words.
He will hold his annual gathering to honor families who have lost loved ones to violence later this month
