Community group to help implement CDC recommendations

State officials have named a group of 25 community members to guide future state efforts to target at-risk youth before they commit violent gun offenses.

The members of the Community Advisory Group will support the efforts of the state Department of Health and Social Services as it works to implement recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which studied gun violence as a public health problem in Wilmington over several years.

DHSS Secretary Rita Landgraf said the board will be integral in moving forward and implementing the CDC's recommendations and helping to make Wilmington and Delaware examples for the rest of the nation.

“All of the residents of the city of Wilmington have been deeply impacted by the level of trauma and gun violence,” said Landgraf, speaking at a special meeting of Wilmington City Council on Wednesday night. “We see violence as a disease and one we hope to prevent.”

The 15-page report by the CDC examined the “epidemic levels of urban gun violence” in Wilmington. It was a historic move for the national public health organization, which previously had its budget cut after coming under fire from the National Rifle Association for studying firearm injuries.

The report found that indicators including repeated exposure to violence and shootings, high dropout rates in high school, unemployment and maltreatment as a child were constants in individuals that would go on to commit gun violence. The CDC suggested by targeting individuals who meet the indicators seen in violent offenders, you can intervene with an individual and stop them from being violent before they commit an offense.

CDC to Wilmington: Target at-risk youth for help

“This is what drives me and this is what should drive us all as we work to replace the pain and suffering with hope and prosperity,” said Councilwoman Hanfia Shabazz, who petitioned the CDC to undertake the study.

The study examined 569 Wilmington residents arrested for a violent gun crime between Jan 1, 2009, and May 21, 2014. About 95 percent were male and most were between the ages of 18 and 15.

The community group, which will determine which services are working best in the community, includes representatives from the faith community, community leaders, scholars, representatives from the school districts, students and the police department.

“This right here is the first honest attempt, I believe, in which we are not approaching it from the outside, where outsiders are coming in to say, this is the best thing for you, but this is coming from the community,” said Darryl Chambers, a community leader, research assistant at the University of Delaware and East Side resident.

Chambers, who is serving as the co-chair of the advisory group said the first task is cataloging all of the organizations and intervention efforts already in the community and to determine which are the most effective. Then, he said, the state and city can work to better connect the individuals identified as at-risk with the best services.

“I celebrate the willingness to even include the community in this,” said Rev. Donald Morton, who is on the community group.” We are often left out of the conversation.”

Morton, who leads the Complexities of Color Coalition, said he believe a lot of good will come out of this document, unlike other studies of violence that have been conducted in the past.

Chambers said while he has been involved in many different programs with similar goals, this is different because the group put together by the state has a lot of trust from the community.

“We are the people who have a lot of sweat equity already in this problem,” said Chambers, who lost his son to gun violence. “Trust is our main variable here.”

To conduct their study, the CDC was given one-time access to information including personal medical data, juvenile justice and prison records, school records, information about child neglect cases from the state Department of Services for Children Youth and Families.

Many community members who attended said they were frustrated that the intervention program couldn’t be implemented more quickly or that there was not a specific timeline.

“I don’t think we are ever going to get there,” said Scott Spencer, who lives in the Triangle neighborhood. Spencer said he fears the program will be forgotten when new officials are elected this year and programs cut during the budgeting process.

Bill Pearson, who lives in Trinity Vicinity, said he was frustrated with the lack of a real project plan with goals, expectations and timelines.

State and city officials said they recognize that these are long-term goals that will take longer than many would like to implement effectively, but hope that the community continues to stay engaged and supportive of the work.

“Early interventions would not reduce or replace any short- or long- term law enforcement efforts to impact gun violence,” said Landgraf. “We must fully recognize that these public health solutions will take time to yield the solutions that we are looking for.”

Contact Jenna Pizzi at jpizzi@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2837. Follow her on Twitter @JennaPizzi.