Another juvenile crime task force? How Charlotte can make this one different. | Opinion

Editor’s note: The writer is CEO at Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center in Charlotte.

In the wake of Charlotte’s New Year’s Eve shooting that injured five people uptown, Charlotte City Council member Tariq Bokhari announced his intent to convene a new task force focused on violent crime, especially among young people.

If there’s one thing this city loves, it’s a good task force — civic and business leaders brought together to examine our most pressing community challenges. Its members control the levers of funding at financial institutions, foundations and in local government. They have the resources to impact sweeping, generational change.

Findings are unveiled in 12-18 months and generate a pop of news coverage. Everyone smiles for the camera, but little funding flows to the organizations tasked with carrying out the work. Recommendations never go far enough and usually fail to address the root causes that contribute to poverty, violence, substance abuse and income inequality.

It’s exhausting, really, but I applaud Bokhari’s interest in our young people. It feels like a good time to offer up a few suggestions so that we can avoid prior mistakes and meaningfully address violent crime committed by juveniles.

First, carefully consider the makeup of task force members. A task force comprised mainly of police and prosecutors may focus on crime reduction strategies alone and miss the forest for the trees. The usual suspects — bank executives, CEOs and attorneys — provide unique insight, but often lack a deeper understanding of complicated public health issues. Include diverse voices and members with lived experience, especially those impacted by family and community violence.

Next, commit to making Charlotte a more trauma-informed community. Recognize that effective violence prevention strategies start before birth. Prioritize the prevention of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the traumatic events children encounter during their formative years. Children impacted by physical abuse, sexual abuse or domestic violence are particularly at risk.

ACEs negatively impact health and contribute to anxiety, depression and difficulty forming healthy relationships. The more ACEs a child endures, the higher the risk of experiencing negative outcomes later in life, such as chronic health conditions, mental illness, substance misuse and early death. It’s no surprise that young, violent offenders have significantly higher ACE scores than their same-age peers.

Help grow our community’s capacity to provide evidence-based trauma treatment. Therapy is the most effective tool for reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD in children. Want to really move the needle? Make massive investments in school-based mental health and offer free trauma treatment to every child who needs it.

Finally, prioritize the support of local organizations with a track record of success. Charlotte has amazing public and private organizations equipped to lead us through this crisis (and the next). Fully fund the most promising violence reduction initiatives like The Umbrella Center, Charlotte’s future family justice center. Slated to open in 2025, the center will support an estimated 12,000 child and adult survivors of violence and abuse each year.

At-large Council member Dimple Ajmera said it best: “As leaders, we must have the courage to address root causes, even when it’s uncomfortable. As a community, we must wrap our arms around those hurting and at risk before they lash out.”

Here’s to hoping we find the courage in 2024.