McKnight Youth Council to hold Public Safety forum on Friday

Sometimes it seems like we live in a "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" city. Mostly we ignore the potential for violence in our community, or complain and do little to prevent it. Then, when violence hurts or even kills someone, we complain about how nobody does anything.

Truth is, a lot of good people and agencies are doing a lot to prevent violence in Springfield.  Youth-led efforts, however,  are rarer, not because youth don't care, but because often they don't get the structural support they need to do good work.

The McKnight Neighborhood Youth Council.does get the full support of the McKnight Neighborhood Council, and the Youth Council has pulled together a pretty power-house forum on public safety this on Friday and, while focused on McKnight, is open to the community at large.
 

McKNIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH COUNCIL HOSTS

                                    PUBLIC SAFETY FORUM

                                    Panel to include  MAYOR SARNO & CMR. FITCHET 

WHEN:           FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2010;  6 TO 8 pm

WHERE:         REBECCA JOHNSON SCHOOL AUDITORIUM

                        55 Catherine Street, Springfield

The McKnight Neighborhood Youth Council will host an open forum on public safety at Rebecca Johnson School, 55 Catherine Street, on Friday, January 8, 2010, from 6 to 8 pm.

The forum will feature a panel including Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, Officer Reggie Miller and Kathleen N. Brown of Springfield Community Policing, Sgt. James Brown of the Neighborhood Watch, representatives of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, and Walter Kroll of the McKnight Neighborhood Council Public Safety Committee.

Panelists will be taking questions from the audience about what residents feel are the major problems that contribute to crime and violence in the city and what they want their city government and police department to do about it!

All of the newly elected and re-elected Springfield City Councilors have been invited, as have representatives of Mason Square community and youth organizations, businesses and churches.

The Youth Council, with the full support and backing of the McKnight Neighborhood Council, Inc., is responsible for organizing this major event in bringing greater citizen participation to the important issue of our common need for safety on our streets, in our schools and playgrounds, and in our homes.

The forum is open to all residents of Springfield, although the main focus will be McKnight and the neighborhoods surrounding Mason Square.

For information email mcknightyouthcouncil@hotmail.com, or call Youth Council Chair Jesse Lederman, 351-6785, or  Administrative Staff Kat Wright at 827-9526.

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Photo from Meanest Indian's photostream at Flickr.