When the lives of over 119,079 children and teens have been lost to gun violence between 1979 and 2010, the time for failing to act is long past. The need to take immediate action is evident when this horrific number is comparable to the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action in the military conflicts of Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

Our communities have been decimated by this pandemic. NYC suffers from high risk neighborhoods plagued with increasing numbers of violent crimes. Based on NYPD Compstat statistics in the southern part of Queens, violent crime have increased by 47.8% between 2010 and 2011. Urgent attention by municipal programs and policy makers are warranted to collectively develop new solutions to address this crisis.

The Community Violence Prevention Act legislation will enable us to address the violence in our communities by bringing additional resources to support programs that provide intervention initiatives, structured community social service programs and mental health services. In addition, we will begin a study on the trends, causes, and the socioeconomic impact of violence on affected communities.

Join us in this fight to protect our children, secure safer communities, and provide for a promising future for the next generation. I am requesting your assistance and support with our public awareness campaign by signing and distributing our petition. On Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 10am on the steps of City Hall, we are launching this initiative and pushing for the passage of the legislation. It would be an honor if you would attend the launch of our initiative and/or send a representative. The goal for this legislation is to implement preventative measures that will address the prevalence of violent crimes in New York City.

Sincerely,

Ruben Wills

Council Member