Individuals

EVENT	PROBLEM	SOLUTIONS	OUTCOMES
PSN Community Outreach Town Hall Highland Park, Michigan April & October 2003 (see Video for Town Hall Coverage)	Through our research, the PSN task force discovered that Highland Park was a crime-ridden community with a population of 17,000, riddled with illegal guns, drug trafficking, abandoned houses and buildings, an inadequately funded and staffed police force, and the community was in dire need of help.	In partnership with Weed & Seed, PSN secured $800,000 in funding and resources to expand law enforcement at the state and county levels, demolish more than 33 abandoned homes, organized a town hall meeting where more than 500 residents set priorities for taking back their streets, registered for block clubs and CB Patrols in 2003.	512 Residents sign up to take back their neighborhoods500 Trigger Locks Demonstrated and Distributed22 new Block Clubs Formed 2,100 miles of CB Patrol in 2003Expanded presence of County Sheriff and State Police resulted in an overall reduction in crime from 2003-2004Program featured on WXYZ-ABC 7, WJBK-FOX2, WWJ-AM, WJR-AM, WDTJ-FM, WDMK-FM, WCHB-AM, The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press and Michigan Chronicle.
Stay Cool, It’s Back to School Event and Rap Contest August 2003 (For Winning Rappers and PSA see Video)	Gun violence among youth increases during the summer months, which results in idle, unstructured time for many young people.	Through the resources of media partners WJBK-FOX 2 and WDTJ 105.9FM, PSN organized a back to school rap contest and several young rappers submitted original raps about violence prevention. The winners were chosen by a popular DJ, news reporter, two Weed & Seed youth and The Goodwin Co. and performed live on WJBK-FOX2 during the morning news, on radio station WDTJ 105.9FM and at the Stay Cool Back to School Rally before an audience of 200.	Positive local talent was discovered and televised. In addition, more than 200 youth pledged to solve conflicts peacefully. The event was featured on WJBK-FOX2, WDIV-NBC 4, WDTJ 105.9FM, WXYZ-ABC7, The Detroit News, Michigan Chronicle and WWJ-AM. A TV PSA was created targeting youth and young adults featuring a positive rap about preventing gun violence called “Keep Peace in the Hood.” The PSA has aired on WJBK-FOX 2, WDIV-NBC 4 and on Cable Channels BET, VH1, MTV and Nickelodeon reaching more than 1,000,000 young people an average of 10 times over one year.
Project Sentry In-School Outreach Program 2002-2004 (See Video for Program Excerpts)	Youth violence has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. How do we reach youth more effectively? How do we ensure they will attend a gun violence prevention program or event?	Gun violence prevention needs to be part of the school curriculum. Project Sentry is held over three mornings in middle schools while school is in session. Through partnerships with several law enforcement and community agencies and the Detroit Medical Center, Project Sentry teaches youth the medical, legal and emotional consequences of gun violence in an interactive setting where they learn to resolve conflicts peacefully.	More than 4,000 youth have been impacted, to date, in middle schools throughout Detroit, Highland Park, Inkster and Flint, Michigan. Project Sentry is being expanded in 2005 and also includes a Parent University program.
Second Annual Highland Park Town Hall	Positive Outcomes have been achieved since the first town hall: Adequate expansion of law enforcement at the state and county levels and ensuing demolition of abandoned houses, but more needs to be done.	Reassure the community PSN is alive and well in Highland Park. Organized second annual Town Hall in Highland Park. Audience was pleased with progress in their community. Many more parents and youth came to the second annual to learn about careers in law enforcement and hear from local media personalities: Spudd and Charles Pugh.	An additional 150 people registered for block clubs and received Trigger Locks
Violence Prevention Program and Rally in Detroit’s Highest Crime Neighborhoods – The 5th and 9th Precincts August 2004	Detroit’s 5th and 9th Precincts are known as the areas with the highest incidence of gun crime, and the ATF reports that more crime guns are confiscated in the 9th Precinct than in any other precinct throughout the City.	A special PSN Task Force has been created where ATF agents ride along with Detroit Police in the 9th precinct to expand the resources needed to reduce crime, by sharing intelligence and increasing their ability to take felons with guns off the streets, and possibly prosecute them at the federal level with no chance of parole. PSN partners with United Way and 9th Precinct Weed & Seed to organize first violence prevention rallies in Detroit’s 5th and 9th Precincts.	Detroit Police Department refers to PSN Task Force as one of the most innovative programs to reduce crime. More than 500 attend first violence prevention rallies in Detroit’s 5th and 9th Precincts; 80 individuals register for block clubs in these two precincts.
Town Hall Meetings in Detroit’s 5th and 9th Precincts	PSN, United Way and Weed & Seed would like to recreate the successful Town Hall program held in Highland Park in Detroit.	Two Town Hall Meetings with the same format as our first town hall meetings in Highland Park were held in Detroit’s 5th and 9th Precincts two months after the rallies.	More than 200 people attended the Town Hall Meetings in the 9th and 5th Precincts, and asked that law enforcement and community leaders help them with the following top priority issues in Detroit’s 9th Precinct: Block Club Formation Expand Substance Abuse Recovery and Prevention Programs Expand Prisoner Rehabilitation Programs to Prevent Recidivism Loitering Reduction Expand Gun Safety Training And in Detroit’s 5th Precinct: Remove blight: vacant homes/buildings and keep street lights operating Parental involvement to educate youth about gun violence Increase coordination of crime prevention efforts with law enforcement and community agencies Provide recreation and youth initiatives that promote gun violence prevention Expand Prisoner Rehabilitation Programs Employment Opps. to Prevent Recidivism Town Halls receive coverage on WJBK FOX 2, WXYZ-ABC 7, WWJ, The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press and Michigan Chronicle.