It is often said that young people are our future leaders. In Pine Bluff, we also firmly believe that young people are leaders in the present as well. That’s because the choices that young people make not only affect the city’s future, but also its ongoing quality of life.
Violent crime is a leading example. The U.S. Justice Department reports that individuals under the age of 24 accounted for more than 39% of U.S. murder-related arrests in 2019. Additional research shows that people between the ages of 21 and 24 are also the most likely to be victimized by a violent crime. This largely aligns with what most people feel when receiving news reports: too many young people are either victims or perpetrators of violent crime.
Individuals damage the entire community when choosing to commit these offenses. This choice creates unsafe neighborhoods, limits business growth, and discourages new residents from settling in the community. These aren’t consequences that affect the city solely in the future. They shape our prospects right now, making our children, teens, and young adults some of the greatest influencers in the community.
Therefore, we have a responsibility to provide these young influencers with the support they need to make the right choices in life. In Pine Bluff, there are now new efforts in education, juvenile intervention, and youth programming that are strong examples of what is needed to achieve this.
For starters, there’s Friendship Aspire Academy, a local charter school for elementary students. Friendship students recently scored among the top performing elementary schools in Arkansas, scoring an 86.08 based on English language arts and the ACT Aspire test performance during the 2020-2021 school year. This occurred during the turbulence of the early pandemic, which proves that Pine Bluff students can not only excel, but excel against great obstacles.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Friendship Aspire is now expanding as a new campus is being constructed in Downtown Pine Bluff. This will give more students the opportunity to learn in an exceptional environment that’s performing among the best in Arkansas — right here in Pine Bluff. And as we know, young people are less likely to commit crimes when they have received a strong education.
But we also haven’t forgotten young people who’ve made mistakes, young people who’ve found themselves in juvenile court. In 2020, the city of Pine Bluff launched the Second Chance initiative in collaboration with Judge Ernest Brown’s Juvenile Court, Southeast Arkansas College, and retired MLB Player Torii Hunter and his wife Katrina. As part of this program, non-violent teens admitted to court may receive less severe penalties if they participate in Second Chance classes and work programs. These classes focus on health, financial literacy, and character building.
As of now, the majority of teens referred to the Second Chance Initiative have completed the program, and there are strong indications that many of these teens are less likely to re-offend. The purpose of this program is to connect with teens who need it most, and transform their lives by rescuing them from pathways that lead to violent crime.
Finally, the city of Pine Bluff is in the process of partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Jefferson County. This is an after-school youth program that has worked in Pine Bluff for more than 70 years, producing an immeasurable number of successful adults here and beyond. It focuses on helping students with homework, teaching about character and leadership, and promoting health and wellness. The club provides a safe haven where children and teens can grow into the best versions of themselves.
Through this proposed partnership, which the Pine Bluff City Council will consider in March, the club will be able to provide youth programs in the Pine Bluff Community Center. The goal of this partnership is to use the center’s resources and the club’s experience to amplify youth programming in the city. There is no better time for this partnership than now.
As one can see from these new strategies and endeavors, we are focused on investing in our young people here in Pine Bluff. These efforts don’t even include other countless youth organizations and programs that are working everyday, as well as new strategies by the Pine Bluff Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to tackle gangs, seize illegal firearms and get drugs off the street.
We can’t transform lives overnight, nor can we stop violent crime from occurring. No city can do that. But we can change the conditions that lead to violent crime. We are seeing results, and our outreach is growing. To deliver the change that we seek over the long term, Pine Bluff must stay the course through all of these efforts. That is the only way we can empower our young people, our young influencers, to make good choices tomorrow as well as today.
— Shirley Washington is the mayor of Pine Bluff.