The D.C. City Council along with the gun violence prevention group Reaching Out to Others Together (ROOT, Inc.) declared this January as Guns Aside Month in the District of Columbia, following an 11 percent increase in gun violence in the District of Columbia.
City Council passed the resolution, introduced by Councilman Adrian Fenty, to support Guns Aside, a program designed by ROOT Inc., and acknowledge the efforts and achievements of ROOT in reducing gun violence, on Jan. 4, according to a press release by the group.
The Guns Aside program specifically targets kids ages 11 to 25 and asks them to wear a bracelet and sign a pledge card promising to avoid gun violence, according and article on www.NBC4.com.
Recently, there has been a large spike in both robberies and homicides in the District, which is the reason why Police Chief Charles Ramsey declared a state of emergency for the District, according to www.washingtonpost.com.
The state of emergency suspended portions of the police union contract and gave commanders more power in creating officers' schedules to respond to crimes.
Ramsey just lifted the state of emergency because the numbers of homicides and robberies went down.
Police Chief Charles Ramsey just lifted a state of emergency that D.C. was under due to gun violence.
ROOT and City Council cited the increase in gun violence as well as recent incidents like the shooting death of former Councilmember Sandy Allen's 15-year-old grandson and the gunpoint robbery of Councilman Marion Barry, as the reasons Guns Aside Month is needed.
The program seeks to create increased awareness about gun violence and the devastation it causes and offers support and services to D.C area families who have been affected by gun violence, according to the ROOT, Inc. Web site, www.rootinc.org. Guns Aside targets at-risk youth in those age brackets most likely to commit acts of violence with guns in communities plagued with gun problems. The Guns Aside prevention program has been implemented in schools and local communities with the support of local law enforcement, government agencies and parents.
Guns Aside also seeks to bring more attention to gun violence on the political scene. Related issues such as gun control and stricter legislation on gun-related crimes are also a part of Guns Aside, according to ROOT, Inc.'s Web site.
AU students were largely in support of the Guns Aside initiative. Chris Billeter, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, who spent his Freshmen Service Experience in Anacostia, said programs like Guns Aside are crucial for high crime areas such as Southeast D.C.
"Any program that encompasses education and enforcement about all issues related to guns and gun violence, such as "Guns Aside," is beneficial for not only the affected communities but the city and the country, and that is why these programs need to be supported to the fullest so they can grow to become successful violence prevention initiatives," Billeter said.
Sarah Wilson, a sophomore in the School of International Service, said creating awareness is more effective than people often realize.
"The laws against crimes committed with guns are there, but obviously people aren't paying attention to them," she said. "Awareness of what gun violence does to people is probably one of the most important tools."
ROOT, Inc. plans to go national in March.
