U.S. Justice Department officials are in Memphis this week to gather information from local leaders for a national youth-violence initiative, with a plan for Memphis likely to be launched in the spring, reports the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Journalists were initially invited to one of the meetings but were told to leave after about five minutes.
After the meetings, Mayor A.C. Wharton said a “comprehensive local youth violence initiative” will likely launch in the spring of 2011. “This successful series of listening sessions in Memphis and in other key cities have allowed for sensitive discussions around the issue of youth violence to take place with extreme candor and straight talk from a broad range of those on the front lines and in key decision making positions,” he said.