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Date: 1/18/2022
SPRINGFIELD – In the wake of recent gun-related deaths, Councilor At-Large Tracye Whitfield called for a stronger, united stance from the city against the growing health problem.
Whitfield highlighted the issue in a recent press release, citing a series of deaths between the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period as a core motivation for her call to action. The councilor also highlighted the need for collaboration to confront the issue, including a reinvention of the ways in which the city handles gun violence.
The councilor discussed the recent trend as a part of a wider-expanding issue. She shared that after seeing a decrease in gun violence in 2012, the issue has steadily increased throughout the years. In 2021, the city experienced a slight decrease with one less gun-related death, but Whitfield stressed that current legal methods need to be supported by other programs.
“We can’t just keep over policing and increasing bail because it hasn’t been working. The methods that are being suggested in getting the guns off the street are wonderful, but if you take one gun off, it’s two more hitting the streets…What can we do to prevent individuals from going down that path, what can we do to change the path individuals are already on?” questioned Whitfield.
One of the prevention ideas Whitfield suggested is a group think tank, similar to the Hampden County Addiction Task Force created by District Attorney Anthony Gulluni. She believes that a group effort would be beneficial in representing more perspectives in the gun violence conversation. “I think it’s more beneficial because you have more people at the table sharing ideas,” said Whitfield, who cited the recent creation of the Gun Violence Elimination Alliance as a primary source of representing different perspectives.
A central voice in the conversation that Whitfield thinks is often overlooked are the individuals directly impacted by gun violence. “I think getting folks directly involved that are impacted by the gun violence is very important. We have families out here that are suffering. We have families out here that know what support is needed to help some of these younger folks get off the street and get in environments that are constructive for them,” said Whitfield.
Along with calling for new collaborative methods, the councilor stressed expanding the productive Emerging Adult Court of Hope (EACH) program, which aids people in recovery from a criminal charge, to include a wider range of individuals. “Seventeen to 24 is great, but I think we need to expand that closer to the age of 30 because from 16 to 30 is where a lot of this gun violence is happening,” said Whitfield.
Looking forward, Whitfield said she plans to approach the mayor for American Rescue Plan Act funding along with reaching out to different sources, such as state level funding. She also shared she has been speaking to different organizations, like Mission Think and The CREW, to create a united front against gun violence.
“The legislators, the district attorney’s office, the Police Department and the mayor’s office need to hear what’s really happening. They need to hear from the people that have their boots on the ground on the solutions they come up with. Then they need to fund what is needed,” said Whitfield.