The Trenton Times published the following article on October 18, 2013. To read the full article click here.
Trenton to relaunch YouthStat anti-gang program
By Jenna Pizzi/The Times of Trenton
on October 18, 2013 at 7:33 PM, updated October 18, 2013 at 7:34 PMTRENTON — The city will relaunch its 8-year-old YouthStat anti-gang program next week with two newly hired coordinators after a period during which it went dormant.
The federally funded program, which coordinates the work of several agencies and organizations that try to keep teens out of gangs, has drawn complaints from critics who say the revolving door of coordinators in recent years has rendered it ineffective.
To maintain some stability, Mayor Tony Mack created part-time city jobs for the two coordinator positions, he said today. Residents Lois Krause and Ayana Abdul-Raheem have been hired to serve as the coordinators.
Krause said she hopes next month to restart the program’s main activity, weekly meetings of police, school officials and representatives of nonprofits that serve children.
“We are looking forward to working with our grassroots organizations, the organizations in the community that really have their pulse on the need,” she said today.
Mack said the two positions will continue to be funded by a series U.S. Department of Justice Grants the city was awarded in 2009 and 2010. The program was first funded in 2005.