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Health & Fitness

Students Honored for 'Stop the Violence' Essays

The City Commission will honor students who wrote thought provoking and heartfelt essays during summer vacation about how to ‘Stop the Violence’ in Sarasota.   The recognition will take place Monday, September 16 at 6 p.m. during the Regular City Commission meeting at City Hall, 1565 First Street.  The top essay winners will receive a Certificate of Appreciation from Mayor Shannon Snyder and the City Commission.

A total of 81 students attending summer programs at Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, Roy McBean Boys and Girls Club and Newtown Estates volunteered to pen essays about ‘What Can I Do (Or What Am I Doing) To Stop The Violence In My Community’.  The participants ranged from 7 to 19-year-olds including a boy, 12, who wrote, ‘The robberies and drugs I see and hear about are a wound to my heart…One thing I can do to stop the violence in my community is by speaking up and setting examples for the many other people around me.’  Click here to see a video of the top winners reading their essays.

“The essays were eye opening and demonstrated just how aware our youth really are of the violence and crime that is going on around them,” said Jerry Fogle, Robert L. Taylor Community Complex Manager, who interacts with many of the young writers regularly.  “It breaks my heart to know that our youth are dealing with things that would be difficult for adults.  I was truly inspired by the amazing ideas of our youth to decrease violence and crime and the bravery and courage to stand up to the bad guy, which is a valuable lesson for adults.”

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Youth are an integral aspect of the newly re-established community policing effort by the Sarasota Police Department.   With the recent violence in the region, a ‘Stop the Violence’ campaign was launched in partnership with SPD and the FOCUS Ministerial Alliance.

Shortly after a deadly shooting at a community event in neighboring Manatee County, Sarasota police officers and Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies talked with children at RLTCC, Roy McBean Boys and Girls Club and Newtown Estates about violence and the right and wrong ways to solve disputes.

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“The ‘Stop the Violence’ essays are the innocent truths from our youths of the things they don't want to see in our community,” said SPD Officer Dominic Harris, who grew up in Newtown and was instrumental in the creation of the ‘Stop the Violence’ campaign.  “It's up to the members of the community and law enforcement to come together and fix these concerns that were raised without politics or self-gratification.”

Essayists wrote about the importance of halting drug deals and robberies and encouraging positive behavior such as respecting one’s community by picking up litter.  ‘What I can do is influence people to choose specific actions and behaviors that work and are positive, healthy and peaceful…mentoring and other outreach programs/services to troubled youth or family will also help stop violence,’ wrote Jasmine Martin, 19.

“Each essay is from a child’s perspective,” said Vice Mayor Willie Shaw, who represents District 1.  “As you read them, you realize the impact violence, drugs and thugs are having on their young lives.  As a community, we have to keep the lines of communication open with our children.  It starts in the home.  Violence affects every member of a family.  Ultimately, we’re going to reduce violence by building strong family units and creating trust within the community.  With our ‘Stop the Violence’ program, we’re already making a difference.  And we will continue to do so.”

Selected essays will be on display Monday, September 9 – 30 at the following locations:

 ·         City Hall, 1565 First Street

·         Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34th Street;

·         Sarasota Police Headquarters, 2099 Adams Lane

For more information contact Jerry Fogle, RLTCC Manager:  941-954-4182.

 

 





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