Organizers hope bus ride will help steer youths away from violent crime

ALBANY — What appears to be a “new wave” of gun violence and crime involving teens and young adults has community leaders and local officials thinking outside the box and taking a grassroots approach to try and help steer local youths away from crime.

After a bus tour of the city Saturday, community leaders say they will turn to Albany area youths for some answers on how to put an end to violence in the streets.

A group of men using the name MOVERS (Men of Vision, Valor and Victory Exemplifying Righteousness, Spirituality, Strength and Service) will sponsor a free bus tour of the city followed by tabletop discussions to help Albany’s at-risk youths gain a better understanding of their community, its history and its available resources.

“The idea is to help them make wiser decisions that can impact their future in a positive way,” said David Milliner, one of the organizers of the event. “We will take them on a tour to show them where the colleges are and where some of the businesses that hire young people are. Some don’t even know how or where to get a driver’s license. We want to show them the good life that Albany has to offer.”

At one of the tour stops, participants will get off the bus and visit a farm, where they’ll have an opportunity to gather produce.

After the bus tour ends, participants will be fed lunch and participate in discussions about the issues and opportunities they face growing up in Albany.

Many of the youths attending the event have been “personally invited” based on recommendations from area schools, social services and other agencies, Milliner said.

Representatives of local law enforcement agencies and other community officials are also expected to participate.

City Commissioner Jon Howard said there is a problem with youth violence in Albany.

“A lot of it begins at home,” Howard said. “Parents need to be accountable. They let kids wander the streets at all times of the day and night. In regards to the recent murder involving the 15-year-old, there is no way in the world that 15-year-old should have been out at 3 o’clock in the morning.”

Howard has been meeting with County Commissioner John Hayes and several other local leaders over the past four months to develop a strategic plan to steer Albany youths away from violent crime.

“We expect to have (a plan) in place by Labor Day. Right now, we are taking a serious look at how to stop the violence momentum,” Hayes said.

A “grassroots approach” is needed and officials say they will leave no stones unturned in their effort to gain insight on how to approach the problem. Hayes said officials are talking to former gang members, prisoners, church leaders and others to gain knowledge, feedback and input.

“We want to explore what’s behind all the violence. What are the key factors? Is it the dropout rate? A lack of employment? Does the punishment fit the crime?” Hayes said. “We need to explore all of it. If we are to reverse the trends, we need to look into all of the factors. We need to get at the root of it. Education plays a big part.”

Howard said officials must work together to address the violence issue.

“What we are dealing with today is going to take a real collaborative approach among the faith community, businesses, parents, teachers, leaders. And it needs to be done soon because we are losing too many of our youth,” Howard said.

Howard applauded local efforts like Dougherty Sheriff Kevin Sproul’s CHAMPS program, which reaches out to youths at the middle school level to help steer youngsters in the right direction at an early age.

In addition to local youths, a group of teenagers from Atlanta will also participate in Saturday’s event. Future plans include developing a sister-city approach while working to curb youth crime in Albany.

“There is a nationwide initiative to stop gun violence among youth,” said Paul Martin, an Atlanta area minister who said he plans to bring a busload of teens to Albany from his city Saturday. “I think it will do our young people good to see that the problems they face go on in other communities as well. Our cities are different but the problems are the same. The root causes are the same.

“Together we can learn from each other and strengthen our resources. The mission is to help our young people keep striving to better themselves no matter where they live or what backgrounds they come from.”

The MOVERS tour will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It includes opportunities to learn more about Albany, with stops at spots like the Albany Civil Rights Institute. Participants will also get to talk with local leaders and law enforcement personnel.