Oct 22, 2024 - News
Metro works to launch the Office of Youth Safety
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Two recent shootings underscored the urgency for city leaders to address the issue of youth safety.
Driving the news: Police say a 14-year-old shot and killed another 14-year-old during an attempted robbery in East Nashville last week.
- The city is still reeling from the mass shooting earlier this month on Jefferson Street, which killed one person and injured nine others, including multiple children. Police arrested two suspects, both of whom are 24.
Flashback: Metro Councilmember Delishia Porterfield, who chairs the council's budget committee, has prioritized increasing city investments in youth programs.
- Over the summer, Porterfield's alternative budget earmarked $750,000 to create the Office of Youth Safety. The new office teaches conflict resolution skills and restorative justice practices, which experts say helps reduce juvenile crime.
- Porterfield also earmarked $250,000 for the Parks Department to increase community center programming.
- Those investments came after community feedback, including from Nashville youth.
What she's saying: "The recent tragedy has highlighted the urgent need for effective solutions that not only address conflicts but also promote healing and understanding," Porterfield said in a statement to Fox 17 News.
- "By empowering our youth with the tools they need to navigate conflicts constructively, we aim to break the cycle of violence and create a more harmonious community."