Back to the Ward 1 town hall, just before D.C.’s incoming mayor was elected. In this clip, a young person got up and asked about violence in communities and schools, and the mayor’s plan to curb it. Click the link below to watch.
I was a bit ticked off at the Mayor because of his response to the previous youth question (see my last post) but glad to see the new Mayor did have a plan to address some youth violence issues. I’m not entirely sure what he means about the phrase “community policing,” whether that means establishing stronger neighborhood watch groups or BIDs, or whether the grants to prevent violence that Mr. Gray talks about at the end of this clip are realistic for a city that doesn’t have a lot of money.
In any case I give him credit for having some kind of vision, but I’m nonplussed by the fact that he seems to see the nonprofit world rather than directly accountable government offices as an answer to the problem. There were a lot of people at this town hall, many who represented local nonprofits, who Mr. Gray was no doubt eager to please. And they do real good, very often, and often better than the city could hope to do. But there were also many who were just simply concerned citizens wanting to see an accountable administration running efficient programs.
I wonder what the kids would think.
