Councilman Turner Issues a Call to Action to Address Crime
Men from all sectors of the community asked to step up and get involved
Fifth District Wilmington City Councilman Va’Shun Turner issued a call to action for “men and male organizations” to come together for a community meeting to address violent crime in Wilmington. Turner hopes to establish a plan for a unified, male-focused, community-wide response.
“It’s time for us as citizens, but, more importantly as men to step up and get involved, “Turner said. “We can’t continue to blame the police, the city, or others for the violence in our community. This is our community. These are our streets. These are our kids, relatives, or friends committing these crimes or falling victim to them. If we want to live in safe neighborhoods, then it’s up to us to make it happen.”
Men representing the business, civic, and faith based communities as well as concerned residents from neighborhoods across the city packed Reeds Refuge located at 1601 N. Pine Street in Wilmington to pledge their support, offer input, and to ultimately identify ways to make a difference in their communities.
“The goal tonight was simple. We wanted to begin the groundwork to establish a grassroots coalition with the sole purpose of formulating a comprehensive strategy to address violent crime at the community level, leveraging our diverse resources, and then work collaboratively to implement it,” said Councilman Turner. “Obviously there’s no silver bullet to reduce violent crime in Wilmington and we can’t do it alone, but I’m convinced that if we educate, empower, and hold each other accountable, we are much better positioned to effectively reduce and prevent crime across our city. We can make it happen and we will make it happen.”
Anyone interested in getting involved with this initiative or more details about next steps are encourage to contact Councilman Turner at (302) 576-2140 or vaturner@WilmingtonDE.gov.
For more information about this news release, contact:
Antoine L. Oakley
Director of Communications
Wilmington City Council
Phone: (302) 576-2140
Email: aloakley@WilmingtonDE.gov