My work has reduced youth and gun violence in our city before.Elect me Mayor and we will do it again

Just a month after a shooting near East High School on Colfax, another youth was shot in their head outside of East High School yesterday and was left in critical condition. In an unrelated incident, another shooting took place the same day near Emily Griffith school. This news only goes to further demonstrate how our city still has a lot of work to do around youth and gun violence.

Last year Denver had 88 homicides, in 2021 we had 96 homicides, and the year before that Denver had 95 homicides. Although homicides declined last year, the violence only spilled into Aurora which had over 50 homicides. My work at the Prodigal Son Initiative from 2004 to 2013 reduced gang membership and youth violence in Denver because we worked to fill in the gaps in children's lives; providing a structure and community support to youth growing up with few resources.

Studies have shown and my lived experiences has reinforced to me that youth violence and gang affiliation is intrinsically tied to poverty on our streets. Housing insecurity, food insecurity, lack of child care, and unsupervised free time are all factors leading to youth violence and gang membership. Housing For All policies, getting poverty off our streets, providing dedicated youth centers in every neighborhood, and affordable childcare options are all important pillars to reducing violence in our city.

These children need to know there are people just like them who chose a better path and lived a fulfilling life. I became a gang member when I was young but I turned my life around to better my community. We can do something about the violence impacting our city by electing someone who is offering material change for Denver residents and is familiar with the lived realities of youth on our streets.