In testimony to Congress, an authority on gang violence called for a new approach and national commitment to confronting the problem. “A community can be destroyed by gang violence,” said David Kennedy, director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control at John Jay College in New York. “Getting it right means a new way of thinking and acting.”
Kennedy gave testimony Thursday before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. Among other things, he called for direct engagement with gangs by local partnerships of law enforcement, social service providers, and communities. (The Crime & Justice News link leads to the text of Kennedy’s testimony.)
Link: http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/kennedy/testimonycongress.pdf