ON OUR WEBSITE.

BRANDIS?

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

IT LOOKS LIKE FUN.

>> GUN DEATHS ROSE 50% IN JUST TWO YEARS.

IN CHICAGO, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING EFFORTS TO REVERSE THESE TRENDS.

JOINING US ARE YOUTH ORGANIZERS WITH BOLD RESISTANCE AGAINST VIOLENCE EVERYWHERE AND THEN COMMUNITIES UNITED AND MEET THE CHALLENGE IN A NUMBER OF THE PUBLIC-SCHOOL STUDENTS ADVISORY COUNCIL THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

SO, ALL OF YOU ARE CURRENTLY STUDENTS.

I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU WANTED TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS KIND OF WORK.

I WILL START WITH YOU.

>> THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE A PART OF THIS, WHAT IS GOING ON.

>> I FELT MOVED TO DO THIS.

>> HELLO, I HAVE LOST A LOT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO GUN VIOLENCE AND THE TRAGEDY WAS UNFAIR.

ALSO, I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

WE NEED A CHANGE IN CHICAGO THAT CAN BE DONE.

WE NEED HELP.

>> I JOINED BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN AT MY SCHOOL, WHERE THE SAFETY IS NOT THERE.

PEOPLE FEEL LIKE GOING TO SCHOOL IS A HAZARD.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR THEM AND OTHERS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.

I CAN DO THAT FOR THEM.

>> I JOINED JUST TO MAKE A CHANGE IN MY COMMUNITY BECAUSE I OFTEN FEEL LIKE BECAUSE I AM A CHILD, THAT I CANNOT -- MY VOICE DOES NOT MATTER, THAT I CANNOT MAKE A CHANGE.

BUT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT FOR THIS ORGANIZATION.

>> YOU SPOKE ABOUT ENDING GUN VIOLENCE AT AN EVENT.

WHAT DID YOU TALK ABOUT?

YOU SPOKE AT AN EVENT ABOUT ENDING GUN VIOLENCE.

WHAT DID YOU TALK ABOUT?

>> I TALKED ABOUT HOW THE VIOLENCE THAT -- IT IS RUINING OUR CHILDREN.

IT IS VERY TRAUMATIZING, WAKING UP IN THE MORNING AND YOU CANNOT BE A KID IN CHICAGO.

YOU CANNOT WALK TO THE CORNER STORE OR YOU CANNOT GRAB WATER BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS.

YOU CAN GET SHOT.

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

MY OWN MOTHER IS SCARED OF ME WALKING OUTSIDE TO GRAB A GLASS OF WATER OR SOMETHING BECAUSE I COULD GET SHOT.

I COULD GET KIDNAPPED.

I COULD GO MISSING.

CHILDREN ARE BEING ENDANGERED EVERY SINGLE DAY.

RECENTLY, HE WAS SHOT AND HE WAS KILLED WITH AN ASSAULT WEAPON.

HE WAS A CHILD HE WAS NINE YEARS OLD.

HE LIVED TWO BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE.

AND IT REALLY MOVED ME.

OUR CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER.

SPEECH WAS ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO HEAR THEIR NAMES AND YOU GUYS NEED TO RECOGNIZE THESE CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER.

THAT IS WHY I CHOSE TO DO THIS.

>> YOU HAVE ALL BEEN PUSHING FOR PEACEFULNESS.

>> WE WANT TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE AFFECTED BY GUN VIOLENCE.

WE WANT TO INVEST IN THEM.

I AM SORRY.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY PROVIDE RESOURCES.

WHO IS IT FOR?

>> THE COMMUNITY, THE NEIGHBORHOODS, EVERYBODY WHO LIVES IN THE COMMUNITY.

IT WILL PROVIDE PEACE.

>> YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TIPS YOU WOULD SAY OR SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU NEED TO HELP PEOPLE?

>> HELPING THOSE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.

HELPING WITH RESOURCES , THOSE IN NEED.

>> YOU HAVE WORKED ON GETTING SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS OUT OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU.

HOW DO SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS IN SCHOOL, HOW DOES THAT FIT INTO THE OLD LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUTH PUBLIC SAFETY?

>> WELL, IF STUDENTS OR CHILDREN ARE HAVING A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE WITH POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET, THAT MAY LATER ON AFFECT THEM ON HOW THEY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH A POLICE OFFICER OR AN SRO, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER, LATER DOWN THE LINE WITH THEY HAVE THEM PRESENT IN THEIR SCHOOLS.

THIS MAY MAKE THEM FEAR THEM BASED OFF OF WHAT THEY SEE IN THEIR COMMUNITY OR HOW POLICE OFFICERS, HOW THEY MOVE AROUND IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO, HAVING A POLICE OFFICER INSIDE OF A SCHOOLMATE MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE IT IS NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT OR NOT FEEL SAFE OR HEARD BECAUSE POLICE OFFICERS ARE AROUND.

OR AN AS OH -- >> DO YOU THINK STUDENTS EVER FELT THAT THE EXISTENCE OF AN SRO IN A SCHOOL MIGHT HAVE INCREASED THE LIKELIHOOD THAT, YOU KNOW, A COP OR THE COPS GET CALLED OR CRIMINAL CHARGES GET FILED ON SOMETHING VERY MINOR, THAT THE SCHOOL COULD HAVE HANDLED?

>> DEFINITELY.

THEIR FIRST INSTINCT, AT MY SCHOOL, THE FIRST INSTINCT WAS TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE SROs ABOUT CERTAIN INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED INSIDE THE SCHOOL, WHERE IT COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO THE OFFICE AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED WAY DIFFERENT HIM AWAY DIFFERENTLY THAN HOW THEY DID IT.

A LOT OF STUDENTS WOULD SIMPLY GET ARRESTED.

>> WHEN TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH?

>> I THINK MY MENTAL HEALTH IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS.

IT GOES HAND-IN-HAND WITH OVERALL SAFETY.

IF A PERSON DOES NOT FEEL, LIKE, IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, WHERE THEY FEEL THEY CANNOT BE HEARD OR EXPRESS THEMSELVES WITHOUT BACKLASH, I FEEL THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT SO HARD FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A SPACE TO GO TO AND FEEL OKAY WITH IT AND THAT IS WHEN SITUATIONS -- >> ANOTHER QUESTION I WANT TO GO AROUND THE TABLE ON THIS ONE.

WHAT DOES PUBLIC SAFETY LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

>> TO BE HONEST, THERE IS NO PUBLIC SAFETY IN MY EYES.

BASICALLY THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER.

THAT IS PUBLIC SAFETY IN MY EYES.

>> TERRIBLE.

MY COMMUNITY IS TERRIBLE.

THE CITY DOES NOT PROVIDE OUR NEEDS AND IS NOT PROVIDING FOR OUR CHILDREN'S KNEES OR FOUR HOURS SAFETY.

WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE.

WE DO NOT BLAME THE COPS OR OUR KIDS.

THEY ARE NOT THE REASON.

POLICE ARE NOT THE REASON.

THE CITY IS THE REASON.

THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED OR ACCOMPLISHED.

THEY DECIDED NOT TO.

>> WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, FOR YOU TO FEEL SAFE FOR YOUR COMMUNITIES TO LOOK SAFE?

>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT MY SCHOOL, WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM MAKING SURE THE STUDENTS ARE THE ONES LEADING THE CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO BE HELD.

BEING AN ADULT, THERE IS THAT BORDER OF, LIKE, POWER.

A LOT OF TIMES, THAT IS WHERE IT GETS HARD AND IT GETS HARD TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON, TO WANT TO OPEN UP.

I FEEL LIKE OVERALL, THEY ARE MAKING SURE THE SECURITY GUARDS AT SCHOOL -- THAT THEY GET BETTER TRAINING, TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW HOW TO HANDLE SITUATIONS.

>> I WOULD SAY A LOT OF AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND MAKING SURE THAT THE STUDENTS AND THAT THE KIDS ARE PART OF THE DECISION-MAKING.

THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO AFFECT US DOWN THE LINE .

WE SHOULD BE A PART OF THE DECISION-MAKING PICK WE SHOULD HAVE OUR VOICES HEARD ALSO, ESPECIALLY IF IT WILL AFFECT US.

>> WHAT YOU THINK PEOPLE GET WRONG ABOUT THE NARRATIVE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN CHICAGO?

WHAT DO YOU HEAR?

WHAT DO THEY OFTEN SAY THAT YOU WERE LIKE, THAT IS NOT TRUE.

>> THAT THE YOUTH IS JUST BAD.

WE CREATE THE NARRATIVE.

BASICALLY, WE ARE NOT BAD AT ALL.

WE JUST GO THROUGH A LOT.

THERE IS A LOT GOING ON.

THAT IS WHAT I SEE.

>> I FEEL LIKE THERE IS THIS DAY TO DAY TRAUMA THAT WE CANNOT CONTROL.

WE DO NOT WANT IT TO BE THAT WAY.

I THINK -- I KNOW THAT WE DESERVE MORE OF THESE COMMUNITY CENTERS.

WE DO HAVE THEM, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST LONGER HOURS , LONGER HOURS OF WORKING.

A LITTLE BIT MORE PAY.

IF YOUR CHILD GETS OFF AT 9:00 P.M. AND HE GOES HOME, HE SHOULD JUST GO HOME.

A LOT OF CHILDREN, THEY ARE BORN FROM HOUSEHOLDS THAT THEY CANNOT CONTROL THINGS.

WE DO NOT HAVE THINGS TO DO AND EVEN IF WE GET A JOB, WE NEED LONGER HOURS SO WE CAN STAY BUSY.

A LOT OF KIDS TEND TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES THAT THEY CANNOT CONTROL.

IT COULD BE PTSD.

THEY WILL TRY TO KEEP THEMSELVES DISTRACTED BY DOING THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.

PEOPLE INFLUENCE THAT BECAUSE THEY THINK THE YOUTH ARE BAD.

WE ARE NOT BAD BUT WE WERE JUST BORN INTO THE BAD.

WE WANT TO DO GOOD AND INTO THE GOOD AND WE WANT GOOD THINGS.

I SUGGEST LONGER HOURS OF WORKING AND OPEN THE COMMUNITY CENTERS UNTIL 11:00 P.M.

THEY THEN HAVE PROTECTION.

JUST BE MORE MINDFUL OF PEOPLE AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.

PEOPLE ARE CRAZY, YES.

WE CANNOT CONTROL THAT, BUT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO HELP A YOUNG PERSON AND YOU ARE AN ADULT, THE FIRST AND THAT SHOULD COME TO MIND IS ARE YOU HOME?

THIS IS YOUR HOME TO COME HOME AND I WILL BE YOUR HOME FOR YOU.

>> WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.

YOU KNOW THIS IS