Community members take a stand against gun violence with new initiative
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — People in a local community are stepping up to reduce violence in Topeka, and they’re using a new approach to do it.
The new initiative is called Strategies Against Violence Everywhere, or SAVE.
The main strategy is to build strong relationships between community members and community leaders through their street team.
On way they decided to do that was to host a block party at Betty Phillips Park Saturday afternoon.
“I think it’s very valuable for people to get to know their community and be a part of their community,” said member of the SAVE street team Raymond Fox.
The street team was formed to help community members and leaders take a more active approach to reducing gun violence.
“We have to have somebody knocking on doors, feet on the ground and just plain simple showing people love,” said SAVE street team member Mike Calhoun.
It’s something Tamara Fields, a fifth generation Topekan said her city desperately needs.
“There is an answer,” said Fields. “There is something we can do and if we all come together and share ideals, we will make a change.”
In May, her son Darton was shot and killed outside of a liquor store in central Topeka.
“Once you experience something like this and it hits home, there’s something that burns on the inside of you that makes you want to do something about it,” said Fields. “You know, you pray for answers, you reach out to the community and say ‘What do you think about we should do about it?’ You know, How do we unify?”
Fields said she’s grateful for the people stepping up to make a positive change in the city.
The SAVE street team said this is just the beginning and that they’re planning more events and ways to make an impact on communities across Topeka.
The idea of a street team stemmed from a conference that was attended by community members and leaders over the summer.
The strategy is known as group violence intervention, and was created by the National Network for Safe Communities.