Winchester Key and East New York Urban Youth Corps.' Key Public Safety Committee Call Borough-wide Stakeholder's Meeting

A plethora of churches and community organizations and the gang leaders affiliated with the Bloods, Crips, Tomahawks and others to “stop violence and crime” to change the fates of youth in East New York and Brownsville, Brooklyn, attended the 75^th Police Precinct Community Relations Officer, the Office of the Brooklyn D.A., Congressperson’s Ed Towns and Nydia M. Velazquez. East New York Urban Youth Corp. (ENYUYC), in partnership with the Key Safety Committee, ask that you join our urgent effort, to create a safe and economically progressive environment. Key Safety is a volunteer committee that consists of Church Light Houses, and a Youth Council that partners with OG’s (Original Gangsters), and “gang” members consisting of Bloods, Crips, and Tomahawks and others to join hands in making a “positive change” in the lives of the East New York and Brownsville, Brooklyn communities.

Winchester Key, president and CEO of the East New York Urban Youth Corp. said, “We are calling this meeting to discuss a new strategic delinquency intervention initiative called S.T.A.R. (Sustained Transition And Recovery). The S.T.A.R. program has a focus on transforming 1^st offenders and at risk youth by providing community organized alternatives to detention and incarceration”. Presentations were made by Winchester Key and Minister Kelvin Dove a Key Safety Committee member and public-safety advocate. Invited guest were Reverend Daughtry – House of the Lord, Reverend Brawley – St. Paul Community BC, Reverend Mitchell - CLCC, Reverend Underwood – Grace Baptist, Bishop Lyons – First Baptist, Elected Officials, DA’s office and 75^th Precinct, community leaders, parents, school administrators, state, and federal elected officials all were willing to join an urgent effort, to create a safe and economically progressive environment in East New York and Brownsville Brooklyn.

The solutions targeted by the Sustained Transition And Recovery battery of programs are: 1) community-developed alternatives to criminal justice detention, 2) support for alternatives to long-term school expulsions, 3) support to families with children with PIN’s petitions and 4) treatment of children identified in need of gang prevention and alcohol and substance abuse treatment and intervention.

The Key Safety Committee follows the 23- year old youth advocacy tradition of the ENUYUC which has long been partnering with the local schools, neighborhood youth, the 75^th and 73^rd Police Precincts and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office to provide youth development programming at its PACT Center.

The community-based committee will also host a Father’s Day Community Event on June 19^th (1 p.m.) at the Thomas Jefferson High School located at 400 Pennsylvania Avenue (Between Blake & Dumont). The event is spearheaded by Minster and Mrs. Dove that will feature more discussion, fun and celebration of Key Safety Committee members and supporters.