In February of 2018, after the death of Ameen Lacey, who was like a nephew, was killed due to gun violence, I convened city officials, division, and department heads that have any oversight, and/or influence on issues of violence. His death was a culmination of over a decade of advocacy for more to be done to prevent, intervene and respond to issues of violence. Over 25 city officials and over 50 community members attended. City officials asserted what it is that they do/offer to prevent, intervene, and respond to violence, and the communi
As a result of that meeting, parents of victims of homicide were empowered to request and receive updates about their child(ren)’s death investigations, city officials have credited lessons learned as a major influence on the construction of the Neighborhood Trauma Response Team model, and the palm-sized cards with resources to address trauma, as well as the revamping of the new SOAR Program. Those were great accomplishments, and though there we fewer homicides and shootings in 2021, the pandemic of violence is still a problem. It’s a problem when a 16-year-old is killed on the streets of Boston there does not seem to be a sense of urgency and outrage in a manner that moves us beyond the typical responses, into action that is impactful and brings about change.
#weneedtoknow since February 2018:
What improvements have been made to systems, protocols, and structures that are tasked with decreasing and addressing incidents?
Where does this issue lie within the Wu Administration?
What other partners should be included in this conversation? What does violence prevention look like during COVID-19?
These are questions that prompt me to announce that I will host a #weneedtoknow “Four Years Later, Where Are We” meeting in mid-February.
