As the city of Wilmington, Delaware, experiences what community leaders called a “recent rise in gang violence among girls,” they have come together to call for solutions to address the “growing problem.”
On Thursday, city officials and community leaders met at an event to discuss how they hope to address the problem.
“We are united in addressing a pressing and heartbreaking issue within our community: girl gang violence,” said Councilwoman Zanthia Oliver, in a statement before the day’s event. “This is not just a law enforcement challenge; it is a community challenge. Every young woman in our district deserves to feel safe, supported and valued. We must invest in their future, provide them with positive alternatives and come together as a community to break the cycle of violence. Let us be the agents of change, the defenders and protectors of our youth. Together, we can build a safer, stronger and more hopeful future for all.
Pastor Derrick Johnson of Joshua Harvest Church told members of the press that the day’s event follows a series of attacks over the past two weeks in which girls in the community have been attacked by gangs made up of girls in parks. of the area.
“Our young women are getting into gangs. How do we as society respond? How do we respond as people?” Johnson asked.
He said that after community leaders saw similar problems in the past when boys became involved in gang violence, they wanted to call for action on gang violence among girls before the problems escalated.
“We must all come together right now to address the root causes of violence among our young women and work to find effective solutions to help us save our young women from this girl-on-girl gang culture in our city,” Johnson said. . “Recent incidents of violence among our young women are deeply concerning and they all deserve a safe environment to grow and thrive. This appears to be a growing epidemic across the country.”
During the day, one girl, Semajah Norris-Clayton, said she is worried about being the target of violence in the area.
“I should be able to accompany my little brothers to the park. I should be able to be outdoors and have fun as a teenager,” he said. “I shouldn’t have to walk around with mace and Tasers and things like that just to make sure no one ambushes me when I walk to the bus stop.”
Another girl, Ashley Flowers, 12, said she was attacked by a group of girls in a park earlier this week.
“I feel like I shouldn’t be afraid to go out,” he said. “I should be able to feel safe and secure when I leave my house.”
As a significant portion of the violence takes place within her district, Councilwoman Oliver (D-3rd District) said, in a statement, that she has been actively engaging with her constituents to combat the problem.
Johnson said what could be fueling the problem is that these problems can sometimes stem from online discussions that turn into real-world attacks. He hopes that by working together, community leaders can find ways to prevent that from happening.
“All together we can do this. We can get our girls back. We can get them out of these criminal lifestyles and we can keep our children safe,” Johnson said.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.