Thousands of kids will meet with state officials, former gang members, police officers, and religious leaders in Orlando Thursday and Friday. Their mission: To discuss ways to prevent crime in black communities across Florida and nationwide. It is part of the 32nd National Conference on Preventing Crime in the Black Community. The event is put on by the office of Florida’s Attorney General Pam Bondi with sheriff’s offices, Urban League affiliates, and youth empowerment groups across the country. For them, the idea the best way to come up with tangible solutions to reduce crime within neighborhoods where resources are low and violence, high, is by coming together.
"There’s definitely a holistic approach and definitely a village approach when we’re looking at how do we save our children, how do we reduce our crime, and uplift our community at the same time,” said Kamia Brown, who attended the conference as a child and is now state representative for District 45, which consists of west Orange County.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings says part of the solution is making sure black boys and girls have access to different kinds of activities that build upon their talents and encourage critical thinking.
“They have a greater probability of staying out of our jails and prisons if they get exposed to positive programs, and so that’s our mission to do that.”
The two-day conference will feature workshops on forgiveness, peer pressure, starting a business, and dating violence.