Orlando among major cities in US working to stop rise in youth violent crime

ORLANDO, Fla. — Leaders in nearly every major city, including Orlando, are working to figure out how to stop a violent trend.

Violent crime is on the rise across the nation, and Orlando is no exception.

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Local leaders, including the Orlando police chief and other city leaders, continue to say mentorship programs and youth groups are a big part of the solution.

“Anyone who says that the programs don’t work, I don’t think has a firsthand experience of what it means to see a kid graduate high school, what it means to see a kid come out of a juvenile jail, and adult jail and get a job and start a business, and then moreover want to come and give back,” said Mike Scott with Helping All Youth Achieve.

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Scott has been working with Orlando youth for 17 years and has seen more than two dozen children he personally knows lost to gun violence.

Scott thinks that work is harder now than it was a few years back and believes more kids are now carrying guns because they see rappers doing it and because they are afraid of becoming a victim themselves.

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Youth programs are steps in the right direction. But program leaders said there is more that can be done, and they’d like to see more funding for these kinds of programs across the area.

See more in the video above.

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