Stopping youth violence

Violent crime fell 14 percent in Minneapolis during the first half of 2008. Crimes by youth declined even more. ThreeSixty reporters examine why.

BY Tatiana Perry

One day this summer I was walking to the store with my cousin, Porsha. When we got to the corner, a red car drove past, crowded with boys. Someone yelled, "Porsha!" and I turned and looked. Next, the driver got out, went in the back trunk and pulled out a big gun.

Without giving it a second thought, I turned around and jetted home, and Porsha was right behind me. Not until I found her on my front porch did she tell me that the gun the boy had pulled out was a paintball gun. I thought it was a real gun. When I ran in the house, not only was I unable to breathe, but it took me about five minutes to catch my breath and calm down.

Recently published statistics show that violent crime in North Minneapolis has dropped 17 percent so far this year and by as much as 37 percent since 2006. Though the numbers show positive improvement, incidents like the one between the boys and us show that there is still room for improvement, which is why the city came up with the Blueprint For Action.

By Herbert Johnson

Just the other day Joanne Timberlake, a North Minneapolis resident, witnessed a drug deal in her yard. Racheal Babbitt, who works at a homeless shelter right across the street, was harassed by a man who seemed drunk. Tanden Brekke, who lives a few blocks away, said there have been two homicides close to his house within the last two years he has been living over in North Minneapolis.

All these events happened within a ten-block radius of Shiloh Temple International Ministries, a church located in the heart of North Minneapolis. It’s because of events like this that Shiloh has been given the large task of creating a safety zone around these blocks.

The goal of this project is not only to diminish the violence in the area, but also to establish and address the needs of the neighborhood. This is the first time Shiloh has done something like the Safe Zone project.

All these events happened within a ten-block radius of Shiloh Temple International Ministries, a church located in the heart of North Minneapolis. It’s because of events like this that Shiloh has been given the large task of creating a safety zone around these blocks.

By Juan-Ita Effiom, Lynn Tran and Zalina Vann

Teen mom Joreena Horris turned to the streets for love because she wasn’t getting love at home. She joined a gang and eventually became pregnant.

“My mother didn’t really guide me … I looked for love and support on the streets,” said the 19-year-old from North Minneapolis. “I tried to fill my life with men, and then I wanted something to love and hold on to so I thought a baby was the best thing.”

Asked directly if she sees a connection between teen pregnancy and violence, the mother of three said no, but when she started talking about her past it became clear that violence had played a big part in her life.

By Paris Porter

Richard Terrell, 21, was the kind of junior high student that was more interested in fighting than studying. But with the support of his grandparents, who fostered him and his siblings, and other strong support, Terrell didn’t fall prey to the troubles that claim so many at-risk youth. Today, he works multiple jobs, including an internship at a prestigious law firm in downtown Minneapolis, and dreams of one day becoming a judge.