I-SS leaders, gang interventionists discuss violence prevention initiatives at community meeting

BY BRANDY TEMPLETON

Concerned residents gathered at the Statesville Civic Center on Wednesday night to learn more about gang violence and how it is impacting the community and local schools.

The event, which featured gang interventionists, was sponsored by Iredell-Statesville Schools and the City of Statesville. Representatives from numerous agencies also attended to learn more about anti-gang initiatives and to support the city’s efforts to move in a safer, better direction.

I-SS Superintendent Dr. Jeff James began the conversation by explaining the direness of the situation and why everyone is a stakeholder.

“They’re all our kids whether they go to public, charter, or private schools,” he said.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the superintendent said, society has declined, leading to an increase in crime in the city.

“We’re in a different society since the pandemic, and I can tell you it’s changed for the worst,” James said.  “After World War II, 76 percent of society were in worship, now it’s down to 32 percent.”

The violence that has resulted from this moral and social decline is shattering families, he said.

“Too many caskets are being put in the ground. The worst call I can get in the middle of the night is the one that says ‘We’ve lost another one.’ ”

Marlene Scott, I-SS community liaison, said she’s excited about the initiatives the district is about to launch.

She quoted lyrics from the song “The World is a Rainbow,” explaining that it takes everyone of every color to do their part.

“I’ll be me and let you be you,” Scott said. “We need to ask ourselves, ‘What’s my role as an individual in whatever capacity I’m in?’ ” she said. “We’re all here and this is the most powerful thing when we come together.”

Scott showed videos of current I-SS students involved in a mass brawl at a bus stop. Equally disturbing are the videos that I-SS students are posting on YouTube that glorify drugs, gang affiliation and weapons.

“It’s all races— White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian,” she shared.

“We have to understand the ‘Why?’ It may be offensive, but it’s important. These things that are happening in the community are happening in our schools.”

Some students are using the “SaySomething” App to notify school authorities about concerning issues.

“It helps us disseminate information as quickly as possible,” Scott said. “We have tight control on this.”

I-SS is collecting and analyzing data to identify the district’s most troublesome students and assessing strategies to best deal with them.

Three schools identified for immediate intervention are N.B. Mills Elementary, Third Creek Middle School, and Statesville High School.

I-SS has mapped where these students live and correlated disciplinary issues and other crime with economically disadvantaged communities such as Statesville’s south side.

“The crime in these schools matches the crime in the city,” Scott shared. “These kids are living in poverty-stricken neighborhoods, single- parent homes — they close their eyes and can’t see. They’re hopeless.”

I-SS has been awarded a $35 million grant to help address these issues.

But Scott conceded that throwing money and technology at the problem is not enough. Disadvantaged residents need food boxes delivered, school supplies, and laundry done among other things.

“We need boots on the ground in these neighborhoods,” she said. “If you’re too afraid to step into one of these neighborhoods, come get into the truck with me and my husband.”

Scott challenged the attendees to reject that mindset.

“For anybody that says, ‘I can’t go into a Black neighborhood in Statesville,’ I’ll take you for a ride.”

There’s also the non-profit help, transportation for kids. I-SS is brining in expert trainers from San Bernardino, Calif.

Experts such as Bruce Atlas, chief operating officer of the Ontario Airport, Chief Joe Paulino of the San Bernardino Unified School District Police Department, and gang interventionist Terrance Stone spoke and shared their ideas. They all agreed that the social climate has changed and gang issues are much worse than before.

A common fix they kept going back to was building positive relationships with the troubled youth, giving them opportunities, responsibilities, and interventions.

“You’ve got to take them out of the environment so they won’t be victims, and they’ll have a greater purpose,” Atlas said.

During a question-and-answer session at the end of the event, two mothers expressed their anger and disappointment with the city and school system.

Chauntee Hardy said that even though her children are grown, she’d like to help out, saying that too many people are focused on the wrong issues.

“People are more concerned with a statue not bothering anybody than with these kids needing help,” she said. “People need to be getting their priorities in order.”

Latasha Jackson said the school district is not doing enough for children of 1980’s crack babies, saying that Northview is not a good option.

“We’re dealing with the crack babies that have no mental health services,” she exclaimed. “They just throw kids in that school and forget about them. They do nothing in that school but just sit around and play. It’s a throw-away school. It’s their last stop until they spill out into the streets.”

Scott said I-SS is in the process of ramping up mental health. The district has been awarded a $17 million grant, which will be used to hire more in-school counselors and social workers.

Chief Paulino closed by encouraging everyone to be courageous and to inform themselves.

“The more informed you are, the less fear you have,” he said.