>> WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

I'M RAFAEL P. ROMAN.

FOR YEARS NEW YORK CITY HAS

DEVELOPED A REPUTATION FOR BEING

THE COUNTRY'S SAFEST BIG CITY,

BUT FOLLOWING THE RECENT SURGE

IN VIOLENT CRIME, DOES THAT

REPUTATION STILL MERIT IT?

BY MID-JULY SHOOTINGS HAD MORE

THAN DOUBLED IN THE CITY

COMPARED TO LAST YEAR AND

MURDERS WERE UP NEARLY 25%.

A REALITY THAT'S LED THE MAYOR

AND POLICE COMMISSIONER TO ROLL

OUT A NEW PLAN TO REVERSE THIS

DEADLY TREND.

ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE NEW

PLAN IS TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY

GROUPS TO PROACTIVELY DEAL WITH

THE VIOLENCE AND OUR GUEST

TONIGHT IS THE PRESIDENT OF ONE

OF THOSE GROUPS.

PASTOR GILMAN ROSE, FAITH

DIRECTOR FOR THE BROOKLYN

BOROUGH PRESIDENT'S OFFICE,

LEADS THE 67th PRECINCT CLERGY

COUNCIL ALSO KNOWN AS THE GOD

SQUAD.

PART OF THE "CHASING THE DREAM"

INITIATIVE ON POVERTY AND

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA.

PASTOR THANK YOU FOR JOINING US

TODAY.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, RAF.

>> SO PASTOR, LET ME START WITH

THIS.

YOU'RE ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE

TRAGIC STRATISTICS THAT I QUOTED

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS CAUSING

THIS INCREASE IN GUN VIOLENCE IN

OUR CITY?

>> WELL, I WISH I COULD POINT TO

ONE SPECIFIC THING FOR YOU, BUT

GUN VIOLENCE HISTORICALLY IN THE

BLACK AND BROWN AND URBAN

AMERIC

AMERICA HAS ALWAYS BEEN TIED TO

NUMBER ONE SOCIALLY ECONOMICS,

TIED TO MASS INCARCERATION, TIED

TO DRUG USE, HAVE BEEN TIED TO

GANGS.

IT HAS BEEN TIED TO

DISENFRANCHISEMENT.

IT'S BEEN TIED TO FAILING

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS.

IN THE RECENT SPIKE IN THE

VIOLENCE, WHICH I THINK IS NOW

ON A DECLINE, I THINK IT WAS A

PERFECT STORM COMING OUT OF

COVID-19, FOLLOWING THE

PROTESTS, FOLLOWING POLICE

REFORM, THEN FOLLOWED BY FIRE

CRACKERS AND SO MANY DIFFERENT

THINGS THAT WE SEE, I THINK THAT

IT'S A COMBINATION OF THINGS

THAT WE ACTUALLY SEE THAT IS

HAPPENING WITH THE SPIKE IN THE

VIOLENCE.

>> YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE ON THE

DECLINE, EARLY TOO TELL YOU

ABOUT A AS YOU KNOW, THE CRITICS

OF THE CREDIT YOU CCRITICS OF T

NYPD SAY IT IS THE INEVITABLE

RESULT OF THE POLITICAL WAR

WAGED AGAINST THE COPS NOT JUST

HERE IN THE CITY BUT ACROSS THE

COUNTRY.

POLICE COMMISSIONER SHEA SAID

ELECTED OFFICIALS DEMORALIZED

AND "HANDCUFFED" THE POLICE HERE

IN THE CITY, THEREFORE KIND OF

PARALYZING THEM TO DO THEIR JOB.

DO YOU THINK THERE'S ANYTHING TO

THAT?

>> I THINK THAT DEFINITELY THERE

IS A MAJOR DISCUSSION, A MAJOR

DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN HOW

POLITICIANS HAVE BEEN SEEING AND

REIMAGINING WHAT POLICING CAN BE

IN THE BLACK AND BROWN AND

COMMUNITIES AND THE POLICE

DEPARTMENT HAVE THEIR OWN VISION

HOW TO POLICE OUR COMMUNITIES.

I THINK WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS

THAT ALL OF US NEED TO CONTINUE

TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT

THE BETTER PLAN.

WE KNOW FOR SURE POLICING IN THE

PAST AND WHAT IT HAS BEEN IN THE

PAST BEFORE COVID-19 IS NOT

SUSTAINABLE MOVING FORWARD, SO

WE NEED TO REIMAGINE WHAT POLICE

COMMUNITY, POLICE COMMUNITY

POLICING MEANS, AND THEN WE ALSO

NEED TO REIMAGINE HOW DO ELECTED

OFFICIALS ENGAGE WITH POLICE

REFORM WHEN THOSE ON THE STREETS

ARE CHANTING THAT WE NEED POLICE

REFORM, SO WE ALL NEED TO FIGURE

OUT VERY QUICKLY RATHER HOW DO

WE TALK ABOUT POLICE REFORM AND

THEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS

TO FIGURE OUT HOW ARE THEY GOING

TO REFORM AND STILL POLICE

THEMSELVES, STILL POLICE THE

COMMUNITY AT THE SAME TIME.

SO IT'S A TOUGH ACT ON ALL ENDS

AND I THINK THAT EVERYONE NEEDS

TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE

FORWARD VERY QUICKLY.

>> OKAY.

WELL AS I SAID IN THE

INTRODUCTION, THE MAYOR AND THE

POLICE COMMISSIONER TRYING TO DO

JUST THAT, TRYING TO MAKE A DENT

INTO THAT.

RECENTLY PROPOSED THEIR PLAN

CALLED END GUN VIOLENCE PLAN.

>> RIGHT.

>> AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE PLAN

INCLUDES SHIFTING PATROL

RESOURCES TO THE PLACES WHERE

THE VIOLENCE, THE GUN VIOLENCE

IS SPIKING, ENHANCING SHOOTING

INVESTIGATIONS, REORGANIZING THE

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS BUREAU, GUN

BUY-BACK PROGRAMS, AND WORKING

WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS YOURS

TO DEAL WITH THE INCREASED

VIOLENCE.

IS THAT AT LEAST THE BEGINNING

OF THE RIGHT APPROACH?

>> THAT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE

RIGHT APPROACH.

I THINK THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT

THE VIOLENCE ITSELF, VIOLENCE

CAN ONLY BE PUT IN THE SITUATION

OF REDUCTION WHEN YOU HAVE A

COMPLETE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH

TO THE VIOLENCE.

VIOLENCE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH

ISSUE.

VIOLENCE ALSO DEALS WITH

ECONOMICS, TOO, AS WELL.

EVEN THOUGH I MIGHT SAY TO YOU

RAF, I GREW UP POOR BUT THAT

DIDN'T MAKE ME VIOLENT BUT I

KNOW THAT POVERTY HAS SOME

INDICATIONS OF WHEN YOU LOOK AT

VIOLENCE.

SO HAVING A COMPREHENSIVE

APPROACH I THINK THAT THE MAYOR

IS DEFINITELY ON THE RIGHT TRACK

WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT BRINGING IN

CLERGY, BRINGING IN THE CRISIS

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, BRINGING IN

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT

HAS THE RESOURCES FOR THESE

YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE

STREETS, AND AGAIN, DEALING WITH

PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY AND TRULY

THE MOST HIGH-RISK WHO HAVE THE

MOST HIGH-RISK IN THEIR LIVES.

SO I THINK THAT APPROACH IS VERY

COMPREHENSIVE AND IT'S THE RIGHT

WAY TO GO.

WE CAN'T, THERE IS NO ONE THING

THAT CAN REDUCE THE VIOLENCE

OVERNIGHT, AND THERE IS NO ONE

SILVER BULLET.

SO THE MAYOR CAN ONLY DO SO

MUCH.

I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO

UNDERSTAND AS CITIZENS WE HAVE

TO PARENT WELL, AS FAITH LEADERS

WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO TEACH OUR

PARENTS AND OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

MORALITY, AND THE BASIC

FUNDAMENTALS OF LIFE, THAT THEY

STAY AWAY FROM FGUNS AND DRUGS,

SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO.

IT'S A COMMUNITY APPROACH TO

THIS.

I THINK THE MAYOR IS DOING WHAT

HE CAN DO.

>> YOUR GROUP, THE GOD SQUAD AS

IT'S KNOWN HAS BEEN WORKING WITH

THE COMMUNITY FOR SOME TIME NOW.

COULD YOU TELL US EXACTLY, GIVE

US SOME DETAILS OF WHAT EXACTLY

IS ENTAILED IN THAT WORK, AND DO

YOU THINK THE MAYOR'S NEW PLAN

WILL CHANGE OR ENHANCE THAT WORK

THAT YOU'RE DOING?

>> SO OUR WORK REMAINS THE SAME,

BECAUSE THE SHOOTING REMAINS THE

SAME.

IT'S BY A GUN, IT'S BY A BULLET

AND IT HITS A PERSON WHO IS

NORMALLY BLACK AND THAT PERSON

NORMALLY COMES FROM A COMMUNITY

THAT IS IMPOVERISHED, SO THAT

HAS REMAINED THE SAME.

THERE IS NOT MUCH TWEAKING THAT

WE CAN DO AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE OVER THE

PAST, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO

SAY COUPLE OF THINGS.

NUMBER ONE, WHAT THE MAYOR IS

CALLING FOR NOW AND WHAT

EVERYONE IS CALLING FOR RIGHT AT

THIS MOMENT, WE NEED TO HAVE

STREET ENGAGEMENT, AND STREET

ENGAGEMENT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE

TO HAVE CLERGY WHO ARE

ORGANIZED, WHO ARE ENGAGING WITH

YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE STREETS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS VERY

POPULAR NOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN

DOING FOR MANY YEARS IN EAST

FLATBUSH IS OCCUPY THE CORNERS

WHERE WE TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE

BETWEEN THE TIME OF 8:00 P.M.

AND 12:00 MIDNIGHT, ENGAGING

THOSE INDIVIDUALS, GIVING THEM

RESOURCES.

THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT GOING

TO PICK UP THE NEWSPAPER OR RAF,

YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL SHOW OR

WATCH "METRO" WATCH THE SHOW ON

PBS.

THEY'RE ON THE STREETS, SO YOU

HAVE TO GET THEM WHERE YOU ARE.

WE DO STREET ENGAGEMENT AND WE

SUPPORT THE VICTIMS OF GUN

VIOLENCE AND THAT'S VERY

IMPORTANT FOR US, BECAUSE WE

WANT TO BREAK THE CYCLE, SO THAT

YOUNG BOY WHOSE BROTHER DIED IN

THE HAIL OF GUNFIRE THAT DAY IS

GOING TO TURN OUT TO BE THE NEXT

KILLER ON THE STREET, THAT THEY

KNOW THE COMMUNITY LOVES THEM

EVEN THOUGH THEIR LOVED ONE WAS

TAKEN FROM THEM AND WE DEAL

DIRECTLY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN

FLATBUSH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY,

WORKING WITH YOUNG MEN TO

INFLUENCERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY

AND LASTLY DEALING WITH PEOPLE

RETURNING SINCE COMING HOME WE

MUST CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH THOSE

INDIVIDUALS SO THAT WE CAN GIVE

THEM THE BEST RESOURCES THEY

HAVE COMING OUT TO RIKER'S

ISLAND.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE TANGIBLE

THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING

AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO THESE

THINGS.

>> YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN PASTOR, A

MAN OF FAITH.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO ENGAGE

PEOPLE WHO ARE ANTI-RELIGIOUS IN

SOME INSTANCES?

>> FOR US THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE AT

ALL.

WE DON'T SAY JESUS AFTER EVERY

WORD.

WE COME TO TALK ABOUT LIFE.

WE COME TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT

WE GREW UP IN THE SAME PRONGS,

OUR CHURCH IS IN THE SAME

NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR CHURCHES HAVE

BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR 15

YEARS, 20 YEARS, 50 YEARS, 175

YEARS, SOME OF OUR CHURCHES ARE

CELEBRATING, PASTORS PASTORING

FOR 30 YEARS.

WE LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.

IT'S THE FACT WHETHER OR NOT

THAT YOU WANT TO LIVE OR YOU

WANT TO DIE.

IT'S A VERY SIMPLE COMBINATION.

WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT LIFE

AND TALK ABOUT DEATH.

REGARDLESS OF YOUR RELIGION,

CREED OR COLOR, I THINK THAT

SPELLS IT PRETTY MUCH FOR

EVERYONE.

>> ANYTHING IN THE MAYOR'S PLAN

THAT SHOULD INCLUDE THAT ISN'T

IN IT YET?

>> I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD

QUESTION.

I THINK THAT IT COVERS MOST OF

IT.

THE ONLY THING THAT THE PLAN

CAN'T DO, THE PLAN CAN'T MAKE

THE INDIVIDUALS WORK OR MAKE THE

ORGANIZATION WORK, OR MAKE THE

POLICE DEPARTMENT FOLLOW THE

PLAN ITSELF.

SO THE PLAN IS GOOD, BUT WHAT IS

GOING TO BE EVEN BETTER IS WHEN

THE INDIVIDUAL WHO MENTIONED IN

THE PLAN ACTUALLY DO THE WORK

AND I THIS I THAT IS WHERE THE

RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD AND WHERE

IT'S GOING TO BE TESTED, ON THE

STREET, ON THE GROUND,

THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.

>> YOU RECENTLY LED A VIRTUAL

NATIONAL MEETING WITH GROUPS

FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY TALK

ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

ANYTHING OTHER CITIES ARE DOING

THAT WE ARE NOT THAT WE COULD

LEARN FROM AND MAYBE IMPLEMENT?

>> YES, DEFINITELY.

THERE WAS GREAT IN HARRISON A

TEN-POINT COALITION WHO SET UP

WITH THE OGs, POLICE OFFICERS

AND CLERGIES AND EVERY SINGLE

NIGHT WALKING THE STREET.

I THINK THAT PLAN SHOULD BE

IMPLEMENTED ACROSS ALL OF THE

POLICE PRECINCTS IN NEW YORK

CITY, NOT JUST ONE OR TWO.

WE ARE JUST ONE CLERGY COUNCIL,

TALKING ABOUT QUEENS, THE BRONX,

BROOKLYN.

WE HAVE A SEASON OF PEACE WITH

REVEREND BROWN OF BOSTON,

BRINGING TOGETHER THOSE WHO LEAD

CREWS, GANGS OR CRIMINAL DWANG

ENTERPRISE AND BRING THEM TO THE

TABLE SO SAY WE WANT YOU TO

CEASE FROM FIRING AND KILLING

ONE ANOTHER, CALLED A SEASON OF

PEACE.

GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A

GRIP HOLD OF OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE'VE SEEN THAT IN NIPSEY HUSSLE

IN L.A., THE BLOODS AND THE

CRIPS SAID WE'LL COME TOGETHER

IN PEACE.

THESE ARE THINGS WE ARE DOING IN

OUR CITY.

WE'VE DONE A LOT OF TALKING, A

LOT OF MARCHING.

WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF OCCUPYING,

TAKING OVER.

WHAT WE NEED NOW IS TO INCLUDE

THOSE WHO ARE INFLUENCERS IN OR

COMMUNITY TO GET INVOLVED.

>> YOU BROUGHT IT UP EARLY ON.

THERE'S NO SECRET THAT THE

COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IS WHERE

THE MOST AGGRESSIVE POLICE

TACTICS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED

OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES,

CAUSING A LOT OF FRICTION AND

AMNESTY IN THE COMMUNITIES AND

THE NYPD AND WHERE THE VIOLENT

CRIMES OCCUR.

IN 2018, THE LAST TIME THERE

WAS, THIS WAS MEASURED, 95.7% OF

THOSE VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE

WERE BLACK OR HISPANIC.

WHY DO THE PEOPLE IN THE

COMMUNITY WANT THE POLICING TO

BE, HOW DO THEY WANT IT

REIMAGINED?

IN LESS THAN A MINUTE.

>> CPR, COURTESY, RESPECTFUL AND

RESPECT AND I THINK THEY DON'T

WANT ANYTHING ELSE IN MY MIND.

>> QUICKLY IN LESS THAN HALF A

MINUTE, NEXT IF WE ARE TALKING

AGAIN NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME,

WILL WE STILL BE TALKING ABOUT

RISING CRIME RATES AND CHAOS IN

THE CITY OR WILL WE HAVE SOLVED

THE PROBLEM?

>> WE WILL STILL BE TALK ABOUT

CRIME.

CRIME IS UNFORTUNATELY WITH US

BUT THE LEVEL OF CRIME, THE

CALLUOSNESS OF CRIME AND KILLERS

IS PROBABLY SOMETHING WE WON'T

BE TALKING ABOUT BUT CRIME WILL

BE WITH US.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TO REDUCE

IT AS WELL.

>> PASTOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING

US, AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.