CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Six months into the new Alternatives to Violence Program (ATV), the organization paid by the government to reduce crime in the Beatties Ford Road corridor has fallen short of its contractual promise to help a specific number of people most likely to be involved with shootings and murders.
The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County hired Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) last year to oversee their long-awaited ATV program, but the entire team left abruptly in November and had to be replaced. Public records show even before the sudden staff departure, YAP had failed to maintain the participation of a minimum of 15 high-risk teens and young adults in the program as required by the organization's contract. Instead, participation has remained just below the minimum at 14.
"This work takes time to get out and saturate the community," YAP National Director of Violence Fred Fogg told WCNC Charlotte when asked about the lower than expected number of participants. "We're getting more and more individuals who are wanting to participate and understand and trust the process and want to come and be involved in the program, so those numbers are steadily rising. Sometimes it takes time just to establish the trust in the program, in the work and then folks begin to buy in."
Research provided by YAP shows high-risk members of the community are less likely to find themselves in trouble when enrolled in the program.
"I would say it is a question of quality versus quantity," said Frederico Rios, Charlotte's Assistant Director of Equity, Mobility, and Immigrant Integration, defending the program. "We're really excited that in spite of some of the changes that have occurred in the program, they've been able to help with 14 individuals and their specific needs."
Rios said the program, which will cost taxpayers roughly $400,000 in its first year, is a marathon and not a sprint
"We're excited about where they're starting, but we know there is a great deal to do and they are on the right path to get us there," he said. "They're taking in the highest-risk cases and so, I don't want to just plug and play an individual for the sake of reaching a number. I really am glad that they're working with those individuals who are most at-risk and most in need of the services they provide."
Monthly reports filed with the city detail ATV's early wins. Records show so-called violence interrupters mediated at least 26 conflicts by bringing peace in the midst of violence and talking people down in moments of rage. Rios said the YAP team also relocated a person who was struggling in the community and needed to get ou. They also provided job services to another person who was in search of work and needed trade training.
The program suffered a one-month gap in services when the original staff left suddenly without explanation; Rios said YAP quickly solved that problem. As a result, he said he feels good about the new employees hired, many of whom went to high school in the corridor.
Leondra Garrett recently joined YAP as a violence interrupter. Garrett, who once lived in the Beatties Ford Road area, previously spent time incarcerated and knows what it takes to turn things around.
"I once had a negative impact on this community and for me, it's about sharing my lived experience and being a voice for the voiceless," she told WCNC Charlotte. "It takes all of us. It's not just me that changed my life, it's about us meeting the people where they are."
Some of YAP's work takes place at community events, which hundreds of people have attended. The new violence interrupters introduced themselves to the community at a meet-and-greet event last month.
Rios believes the program's efforts are paying off. He cites police data that show 2021 ended with fewer homicides in the Beatties Ford Road city council district. The latest numbers, however, show homicides are trending up there through the first two months of 2022.
"We're really excited about the work they've provided to date," Rios said.
"Zero concerns?" WCNC Charlotte asked.
"At this point, zero concerns," he replied.
YAP's initial one-year contract ends in the spring but includes up to three annual renewals. The first renewal, expected to cost another $400,000 or so, is coming up in May. The city and county are splitting the program's cost.
Contact Nate Morabito at nmorabito@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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