By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

Now that April has arrived (but with only a hint of warmer weather), we should note that that this month also marks the celebration of the National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign. Starting last week and running through April 11, educational events and lectures have been planned in communities across the country.  Here in Somerville, we will be recommitting ourselves to our continuing focus on the prevention of youth violence, and to intervene constructively in the lives of young people whose futures are threatened by gang involvement and gang violence.

Over the past decade, Somerville‚Äôs government officials and young people have come together through organizations like Teen Empowerment and the Somerville Youth Council to develop practical strategies and prevention efforts aimed at decreasing youth violence, while simultaneously increasing youth programming and employment opportunities that provide meaningful alternatives to gang and street life.  A 2004 survey of high school students showed that six percent of our youth reported being members of a gang.  With constant advocacy and collaboration, I‚Äôm pleased to report that subsequent surveys demonstrate a decline in that number.  We all recognize, however, that these challenges do not stop at our city limits ‚Äì and that any effective, long-term strategy requires a regional approach.

Somerville‚Äôs elected officials have therefore taken a leading role in developing such regional initiatives as the Senator Charles E. Shannon Grant program, which provides funding for cities like Somerville to upgrade local violence prevention and youth development efforts while also funding technology, training and programs that enhance regional cooperation to target gangs and gang-related crime.  Last year Shannon funds allowed for the hiring 50 at-risk youth to work on a successful citywide Youth Peace Conference that included an interactive dialogue session with youth and police officers.  With the second annual Peace Conference rapidly approaching ‚Äì mark your calendars for Saturday, April 12 ‚Äì we expect an even larger turnout, and a day of powerful communication and effective action plans.

As we continue to promote youth-police dialogue, it‚Äôs important to recognize the early accomplishments and aggressive agenda already embraced by Somerville‚Äôs new police chief, Anthony Holloway.  In his first few months, Chief Holloway has made community policing and youth outreach top priorities, and community youth leaders have taken notice of availability to them and to the young people they serve.  As Chief Holloway continues to implement our community policing plan ‚Äì including the development of new police substations in East and West Somerville ‚Äì the SPD will have even more resources and opportunities to create and maintain positive, trusting relationships between police and youth.

We still have plenty of work to do, but all of our initiatives and successes over the past several years have contributed to Somerville‚Äôs recent designation by the America‚Äôs Promise Alliance as one of the nation‚Äôs ‚Äú100 Best Communities for Youth.‚Äù  This annual award honors the top communities in the country for their commitment to young people, and for outstanding youth-oriented services and programs ‚Äì especially for at-risk children. As first-time recipients, we hope to use this public recognition to improve on our programs and policies, and work with surrounding municipalities to further enhance a multidisciplinary effort that engages our young people as allies in the effort to eliminate youth violence through both enforcement and engagement.