Teens, leaders, organizations unit for symposium against youth violence

PITTSBURGH — More than 300 people converged at the University of Pittsburgh’s Assembly Room on Monday, for an annual event meant to combat violence among youth.

Hosted by Youth Enrichment Services, the multi-day event unites teens, law enforcement, leaders and organizations.

Mayor Ed Gainey was among the speakers on Monday.

“Last year, as you know, we had a reduction in youth homicide,” Gainey told Channel 11. “That means a lot to me because the more we have a reduction in youth homicide, the more we’re giving our children a reason to grow up.”

Dennis Floyd Jones, Executive Director of Youth Enrichment Services says this marks the event’s third year. Each July, the focus has evolved.

“We’ve evolved to the point where, right now, we understand we need to intervene, we need to bring in the experts, the folks who really do this from a medical perspective, a trauma-informed perspective, and the agencies who have a reputation of doing it better.”

Youth will be taking part in several sessions with a wide array of topics, from using communication for violence intervention to mentorship.

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