(Music.)

>> Welcome to at issue.

I'm H. Wayne Wilson.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Through June 21st of this year, 2021, there were 9,721 homicides homicides in America.

That's 55 a day.

That is a 21% increase over the same period last year and last year was the most deadly year in 20 years in the United States.

In peior usage -- if we continue that rate we will continue to have we need to talk about how to minimize that.

How to be proactive and we have four people who are doing just that in the city of of Peoria.

Let me welcome first Dwayne Williams.

Dwayne is together with stepping together for men.

Becky Rossman is here.

They say the CEO of Peoria community against violence which has an altered presence now in the city of Peoria.

We'll talk about that in just a moment.

Becky, thank you so much for being here.

>> Thank you.

>> Also here is Sydney Daniels.

Sydney is the head of development for phobig brothersg sisters.

>> And we also have Keith McDaniel who's part of Peoria community against violence.

A word I heard in the conversation prior to this taping was stability.

Becky, what do we mean by stability and how you will this help us move forward from this crime rate, this violence?

>> We're thinking of the hiacy of teeing safety and stability is what everybody needs.

Whether that's stable housing, stable jobs, you know, addressing hunger issues, really looking at it a full 360 approach but really starting there.

People who live in underresourced areas are far more vulnerable to violent crime or per pet waiting violent crime than the rest of the body community.

>> Before we go any further I want to ask DuduDwayne the organization.

I'm going to guess that many people are going to say stepping forward together -- help me on that one.

>> Stepping forward together -- it consistings of men, young men, older men.

The goal is to show that there's still strong men in the community.

We constantly see on the news where killings is always involving men, young boys, young men.

And we just want to be able to say there's still good men here in the city that care about their city, that care about their neighborhoods and just want to show a positive force.

>> Keith, along those lines, have at least some people in the community lost the sense of value of life because to me it seems like the first -- when there's a dispute, the first option is a gun or a knife as opposed to talking maybe or -- >> Correct.

>> Or at least fighting?

>> Yeah, from my experience, no -- people still value life.

There's only a small percentage that is involved in the violence that we see in Peoria.

What we do know is that 36% of the violence is caused by repeat offenders.

That's where we come in to play.

Our goal is to get into the community; work with the community stakeholders; approach the 36%; offer them some resources and the other thing is to get into the community and those who want to be part of that 6% and that's what I want to stress.

Those that want to be part of that 6%, we want to make sure that they stay on the right path.

>> Let me talk about resources because big brothers big sisters is a resource and you need help?

>> Absolutely, yes, we take a preventive approach to crime in our community; right?

We're matching kids who come from homes or maybe they live in poverty or don't have both parents at home and don't have that undivided attention and so what we're doing is matching those kids with a mentor that's going to guide them through their ablessens.

Crime is not random it's not coincidental it's due to poverty, and also a lack of access and kids to learn the difference between right and wrong and have someone help them that will be good for their future.

>> Becky, pecans has been around for a while.

>> CEO.

>> What people know about pecab after there was a homicide in Peoria, within 48 hours there would be a rally, a March or some speeches would be made.

You've abandoned that approach?

>> Historically they always responded to the homicides on scene and to provide some emotional support, you know emotions are running high during those times and we're going to tip doing that.

Had Nova do a national training so we could do group crisis intervention and we we're also connecting people with resources that they need just like big brothers big sisters and stepping forward together and then we're also taking it one step further which Keith kind of alluded to which is our street intervention team we're going right to the heart who's committing those crimes and offer them services and build those relationships and try to take a more proactive approach.

>> Estate intervention, you mean somebody from precav will be meeting with, chatting with those who are maybe in a gang or maybe involved in a an altercation of some kind?

>> Yeah, so we're actually partnering with Peoria violence and stopping violent behavior through identifying who those potential transmitters are, you know, the people who are most vulnerable to committing those violent crimes and try to change their way of thinking and the public's perception of violence and we're recruiting for violence and we're looking for gang interrupters and we're doing it in a way that we're going to have specialized training because we want to make sure that everyone is safe when we go out on the streets but we'll be going out to high crime areas at peak interventions times and really focus on the violence.

>> Keith, this is a -- this is a new approach that a citizen -- rather broadly is an individual who cares about the community is going to step forward, what kind of training are we going to be talking about?

What are those people specifically going to do and how do you identify the at risk person?

>> Well, we are in the process of speaking with members of of the school system to identify those children that are at risk.

Also we work along with the police department who will provide us with maybe some information that they see young men and women that are going down the wrong path and then we will get with our volunteers and like I said, come up with the resources.

So if education is lacking we can put them in the right direction or if it's housing someone may need, we will put them in the right direction so that the training comes through various sources.

If a person wants to be part of the crisis response team, we have Miss Rossman informed you is Nova.

They have 24-hour training I believe is what we have went through and to be -- to Train-the-Trainer, we have to go through -- a 40-hours advanced course and that we will bring back to our volunteers in Peoria to assist nthem in the street outreach program.

>> This is not up and running yet Becky.

>> The crisis response is up and running so we have 17 people, is that right on our team?

>> Correct, correct.

>> And in August Keith and I are going to take the advanced training and 6 months after that we can do Train-the-Trainers so we will be bringing it back to a lot of community exploration a lot of individuals who want to be part of the solution.

>> So it might be the end of the year before the intervention component is in place?

>> Well, it's two separate things we actually have the crisis response team that responds to the homicides and provides the services and then the street intervention team which we's working with the health department right now to work with the international model.

>> So prevention seems to be the key in trying to reduce violent crime?

>> Yes and piggyback off of Becky, you know, even stepping forward together, we have men in our group that had a history of drugs or being in a gang but changed their lives around for the betterment and they want to get back to the communities so the best way to prevent it is actually have people that been in those shoes before that can understand them and understand where they're coming from.

That lived in those neighborhoods but those changed their lives completely around and that's a key.

There's one who's been there but willing to go back and give back that make things better.

>> Along the lines of prevention, Sydney, big brothers big sisters is preventive in nature but you're intervening early on or at least that's the hope.

>> Absolutely, yes and we actually have a strong need for male volunteers for our youth mentoring program.

We have around 80 kids on our waiting list and more than 85% of those kids are young boys that have been waiting for a big brother and that's not to say there's a greater need for -- for young men to have a mentor than young women.

We just see a lack of male volunteers so we're reaching out to the community and hoping to recruit more volunteers so that we can get in at an earlier age and give them someone that will help them throughout their adolescence.

>> Can you give us a thumbnail's sketch what a big brother -- we use big brothers example but -- >> Sure.

>> What -- if I wanted to commit to this, what kind of commitment are we talking about?

>> Yeah, so a big comes into your you're committing a year we know it will go past that one.

The best relationships lasts several years and the commitment is just twice a month every couple weeks picking up with your little picking them out in the community and doing activities that they both enjoy.

If we have a big boy that enrolls that really love basketball we'll find them a little that enjoys basketball so they can do things together so the commitment is small and the reward is great.

>> Is, in fact -- it sounds like some of these services are substituting for a parent, is that part of the issue here is that -- and I'm not -- I don't want to paint the wrong people.

Some people are working.

It might be a single mother, they're working two jobs to try to make ends meet and so the child doesn't of that home guidance that we might in a nuclear family say, oh, you've got a nuclear family so -- is that -- are we trying to help in that regard?

>> Absolutely.

So 43% of the households in poverty are head of household are single moms and they are working.

We're working with a group of ladies right now they work professional jobs maybe third shift which leaves the kids home alone because they can't afford to leave the kid home and pay for childcare so we're also working on some interning programs as well because a lot of people don't have a good support network.

Like asking questions what do I do if I have a flat tire and things, like, that so we're going in a lot of different directions so yeah, filling in for absent parents -- and like you said, it's not -- I don't want to paint the wrong picture because a lot of our parents are working really hard or we have two parents who are both making minimum wage, you know, but they're out of the home at the same time leaving the kids there alone and sometimes that's how they get involved in invite activities on the street.

So programs like big brothers big sisters and stepping forward together will really be essential and our part of the plan we're right to pull in as many organizations because pecav can't do it alone.

>> So a source that you can to other organizations that have expertise in a particular area that an individual may need?

>> Yes, actually my rotary group Peoria north the ladies are volunteering to ¦help out a lot of the single moms who don't of that support network so they're going to meet once or twice a month, maybe go out for a drink or dinner and just really build those relationships because we all need mentors and friends and a good support network.

>> The federal government announced that you can use some of the relief funds -- pandemic relief funds, for adding staff and specifically it said adding police because as soon as we hear about, well, there's more crime, people will say well, we need more police officers in addition to other things but we need some more police officers.

And I talked to the city manager and he indicated that that is not what he's going to recommend to the city council because it's a recurring cost and this money is only for a short period of time and then the city budget has to make up for that.

Have you had a chance to look at the federal guidelines and how they might help you, P cav address some of the needs?

>> So we've talked with Patrick as well but we're in biweekly conversations with Monica and Katie at the Peoria health department and the funding can go through that way so really using the public health model as treating violence as a communicable disease the money would probably flow through them but it would be P cav and working with our partner agencies.

So we're in the talks how to roll this out but it will be -- as you mentioned before we get the street intervention team out, you know, that might be a couple months.

Keith and I would like tomorrow with the homicides that we've had in this community but we want to make sure we're doing it in the most appropriate way and the safest way for our team.

>> The intervention team -- I want to go back to that for a moment, Keith.

I want -- are we talking about meeting some gang members?

Are we talking about meeting some people before they have the exposure to a gang or before they have exposure to some of the violence that, you know -- in drugs and money people showing $100 bills?

>> We're talking about going into the heart of the neighborhoods and meeting everyone.

Not just to gang members but we're going to knock on doors and talk with the parents.

We're going to talk with aunts of kids, you know, we're out here to speak with everyone because, you know, violence is not an I thing it's a we thing there's a lot of components that's made up of the violence and meet everyone and let everyone know where we stand and offer them some hope.

That's what people are looking for.

They're looking for direction and hopefully we can bring them.

>> We have maps to determine where we're going.

Where the most incidents of violent crime that occur.

>> Will you do this in conjunction with police officers or this is a separate entity where you want to build a relationship outside of authority?

>> Correct, we are getting information from the police department so we know where those hotspots are and where our services are needed the most but, yes, it will be P cav and our volunteers.

>> Jobs would be critical for a lot of people.

There are a couple of organizations that are helping and especially for people who just got out of the prison, people that may not even have a GED yet, et cetera.

>> Correct.

>> What is the prospect for jobs in this community?

>> As of right now, I believe that it's kind of slim but I believe that if you are willing to, you know, lower your standards a little bit, that you can find a job.

What we try to tell the young men that we come in contact with, yes, it's easy to go out there and sell, you know, illegal drugs and make 5 or $600.

But when you make that money most of the time you're looking behind your back.

You wonder if somebody is trying to rob you or kill you.

But McDonald's is not bad.

Yes, the money might not be the same but you could still walk around with your head held high.

And then educate yourself.

Even though -- at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, wherever, don't just stop, work and learn how to educate yourself and then you can move into bigger and better things.

>> And I think sometimes when you say "educate" a lot of people say well, do I have to go to college?

You could be trained on the job for carpentry -- >> Yes.

>> Or any of the trades.

>> Correct.

>> And make pretty good money.

>> Correct.

>> When we talk about -- Dwayne brught up value, is part of what we're trying to accomplish is build a sense of value in these individuals so that they -- so that they're not looking down and saying: I just don't have any other options?

How do you build value?

>> Wow!

>> Not what you're trying to do -- >> Well, exposure and not to interrupt you, Keith?

>> No no problem.

>> At neighborhood house a lot of kids that were in our programmed never been across the river and there's some people where I worked at Harrison homes that's 3 generations and you only know what you know and if nobody is exposing you to any types of jobs and that's what we're trying to focus on as well there's a whole big world out of Peoria there's a lot of opportunities or there's a lot of opportunities outside of those pockets where they get outside of western or some of those sorts of streets.

>> And let them know that they have worth.

>> Yes >> That I also key right there.

Let them know that you are loved, you know, all of us in this room have been to funerals.

I'm tired of going to the funerals of young men and women and listen to them -- listen to people talk about them.

They were such a great young man.

They were such -- okay.

Well, what happened that they got to this point?

How do we stop that?

How can we preen that.

We cry at the funerals and after the funerals we go back to the streets and half of them are doing the same thing that this person was doing that ended up getting killed so to me I believe that we have to get the churches involved.

If you look around the the south end of Peoria, there are a lot of churches, small as well as big.

We need the churches back involved.

We need the communities back involved.

We need, for example -- I went into a shell gas station over on McArthur avenue.

Sometimes I just look at just doing a little something different.

A young man might be waiting in line to pay for some cookies and a bag of chips and a soda.

Let me tell you what, let me take care of that.

A little generosity and you'll be surprised this person may have looked at you with a mean look turned around right now and look at you with awe because you did something nice to them and if we just share a smile.

There's so many people looking around just looking like, you know, the world has ended.

Share a smile, you'll be surprised how much a smile will make -- you know, make a difference in us.

>> Dwayne wants you all to pay it forward is what he's saying.

>> Yes.

>> Value that's what a big brothers big sisters is instilling in a big brolittle brother or little sister?

>> That's a huge part of it.

You know, when a big is matched wallets -- bringing nem home to a family and showing them what a healthy family unit looks like maybe if that child comes from a single parent household and they never got to see that there's value to that of being exposed to healthy family units.

Of being exposed to jobs that, you know, are -- have advancement to them and a lot of kids that we serve, you know -- we do a survey right when they're enrolled in the program and we ask: Do you think you'll graduate high school and a lot of them say I don't know because they would be the first one in their family to do that and so even if our program is just providing them with someone that is encouraging them to cross that very important finish line, that's a win.

>> So offering something positive in any way, shape or form is going to -- is part of this?

I mean, too often we hear this negative aspect: Well, another gun shooting or another stealing cars or what have you, they're in that routine -- that's not the only thing that they know but -- so trying to change that -- that image -- in their own mind?

>> Yeah, when we go back to values -- and that was a very powerful thing: How do you, you know, instill values in someone, I think it has to start with the respect.

These -- these young men and women that are involved in these incidents they don't respect others and they don't respect themselves so we have to bring something to the table to assist with that and I think if they see a unified force come forward -- and like brother William said is to let they mean know that we love them, maybe that'll start with that respect and then work on building that value.

>> So it's multifaceted, though, it can't be a one-time only well, you know, here's something you could do.

P cav is going to focus on that?

>> On the consistency -- having the same teams in the same areas so they build relationships with individuals.

One of the things we learned about our training, loss of hope is far worse than loss of life and I've seen that -- you asked before we got on air one of the reasons I changed over is a lot of the young men I worked with they didn't expect to live past the age of 20 or 25 so they're dropping out of the high school and they had no ambition because they had a loss of hope and just like what Dwayne was talking about it's important that we all treat someone with kindness and compassion because that may be the only day they're treated like that.

>> You have an update coming up, Dwayne?

>> Yes, on July 17th, 2021, from 8:00 AM I believe until about 8ox or 9:00 at - -- 8:00 or 9:0 We're having a gospel group.

A brother by him name of John brown and Andrew Wallace and some beautiful young ladies decided they wanted to give back to the community and the way they wanted to give back is to host a all-community event that will consist of free food -- >> There's the key right there.

>> Free food, entertainment and just to invite everyone to come down and just enjoy themselves and to leave the guns and knives at home but have a good time.

>> Real quickly, Becky how do you get hold of P cav.

>> Our email is PCAVCE -- or you can call me 840-4025 or Keith at -- >> K McDaniel 1906@Gmail.com.

>> All right.

And with that let me say thank you to Dwayne Williams who is with the stepping forward together.

>> Yes, sir.

>> And to -- excuse me, Sydney Daniels, who's the enter of development for big brothers big sisters heart of Illinois.

Becky Rossman, thank you for being with us, CEO of the Peoria community against violence and Keith McDaniel who's the community outreach coordinator for that organization.

>> Thank you.

>> We welcome you to another at issue next week when we'll be talking to the outgoing president of Illinois State University.

Please join us then.