More sites, more safety: Charlotte violence interrupters program expanding teams.
Helping to send 14 West Charlotte students to prom. Supporting a formerly expelled student who later graduated trade school. Taking 15 kids ice skating in January.
It’s the kind of deliberate work the Alternative to Violence program has done in only one year to change lives of many, says site supervisor Leondra Garrett.
“You can’t save them all,” Garrett told The Charlotte Observer. “But we’ve saved a lot.”
And it’s the type of work the team run by nonprofit Youth Advocate Programs looks to build upon as they grow. YAP was selected to start a new team of violence interrupters in the West Boulevard area, leaders announced last week.
UNC Charlotte’s Urban Institute completed its evaluation of the team’s first year this month. The report has not been made public yet. Last year, the ATV program received an additional $1 million by the Department of Justice to extend its efforts into more neighborhoods, The Observer previously reported.
Meanwhile, the Beatties Ford Road team has had a busy year since the program began August 2021. They have engaged over 800 individuals, referred 180 to behavioral change services and completed 26 mediations, according to a presentation to Charlotte’s City Council in March.
But it’s not an overnight program, said Fred Fogg, YAP’s national director for community-based safety initiatives. It can take upward of two years to see planted seeds flourish into a community-wide impact, he said.
It takes time to get a team on the ground, establish connections with community members and show they are here to stay, he said.
“We are dealing with the impact of policies and systemic issues that have been in place for decades,” Fogg said. “In some cases it’s hundreds of years.”
Fogg said the goal is to change community norms. Through mediations, walks and community events, the team wants to be a constant presence. The addition of a new team can help intercept violent acts, which can be transactional. The root of incidents may not be on the corridor but could have made their way there, he said.
Another team will help to expand their reach, Fogg said.
“Additional sites only enhances the public safety effort,” he said.
Changing norms
Working to change norms is a constant push for the Beatties Ford Road team. All have deep connections to the area, said Dimitros Jordan, a violence interrupter. It’s why they know the importance of consistently being a presence in the area, he said.
“You have to show people,” Jordan said. “You can’t just talk.”
One of the most endearing moments for the team was a Christmas tree lighting in front of Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library. Larry Mims, an outreach worker, said it was special to have it in their own backyard.
The traditional seasonal Christmas tree lighting are common downtown, in Ballantyne or in Southpark, he said. Too often residents living in Beatties Ford Road corridor have had to travel. But this time they had their own amenity, he said.
It’s these kind of small gestures that show the area’s value to its residents, Mims said. He added, the team hopes the work will change the area’s reputation.
“It can create inspiration in a child to go a different way,” Mims said. “It gives you a renewed sense of pride in your neighborhood.”
This story was originally published April 10, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
