Youth Center in Violence-Plagued Crotona Wants Action From Bloomberg

December 28, 2009

CITY HALL PROTEST

CHILDREN FROM THE MARY MITCHELL CENTER GATHER ON THE STEPS OF CITY HALL TO PROTEST VIOLENCE IN CROTONA (PHOTO: A. VILLARREAL)

By ASHLEY VILLARREAL

On Dec. 14 the Ghost of Christmas Future visited City Hall.

Playing the parts of characters from “A Christmas Carol,” 50 children from the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center’s after school program climbed the institution’s steps to let Mayor “Scrooge” know that if things don’t change, they too risk becoming victims of violence in the Bronx.

In the fall, the 48th Precinct in the central Bronx had been heralding the passing of two months without one reported shooting. But two shootings in early November were followed by another incident on Nov. 16, when gunfire erupted right outside the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center’s playground, at 2007 Mapes Ave., where dozens of children were playing. Later that day, 19-year-old Felix DelValle was shot dead and two others were injured in the courtyard of nearby 2000 Prospect Ave.

The Mary Mitchell Center’s Executive Director Heidi Hynes wanted answers. On Nov. 24 she organized an emergency meeting of local politicians, police and community organizations, to discuss measures to prevent gun violence. And in a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, she requested he come live at 2000 Prospect Ave. for the month of February to familiarize himself with the community’s mounting concerns.

“The mayor has been great on gun control but he needs to also start focusing on the culture of violence,” Hynes said. “You can’t just take away guns, people are violent beyond that, and we need to work on creating a neighborhood safe for every child.”

With no reply from the mayor, the center’s staff decided to bring the children to City Hall to put on a play in protest of the violence.

Darion Harris, a friend of DelValle’s, said what the neighborhood needs from the city is more money for after school programs and more job opportunities to keep kids off the street. “That’s why all these kids are here basically; we need change,” he said.

Imam Thabbit Iddin, a community activist from Crotona who also attended the play, said an emphasis also needs to be put on higher wages if officials ever hope to curb violence. “Before the New Year someone else is gonna get shot – and the reason is not because of guns or knives – but because people are under stress,” Iddin said.

In absence of the mayor, the center recorded the performance and plan to send the video to Bloomberg himself. Staff hope he’ll still reply to their invitation to come live in Crotona. In the meantime, they’ll be working on getting funding for a new community resource, the Astin Jacobo Center, which will offer free programs to families.

Hynes said the children chose the community of Crotona to “play” the role of Tiny Tim, a character who is crippled and who humbles a wealthy and ignorant man, for a reason.

“The idea here is we are crippled – not by something you can see – where we need a crutch, but by an environment were so many people are unemployed and so much poverty is concentrated,” she said. “So much violence happens and people don’t even get a high school education, and when you combine it all together it can be really debilitating for people.”

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