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Declaring March 23-27, 2015 as Youth Violence Prevention Week in Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, Youth violence is a widespread problem that can have lasting harmful effects on victims, families, friends and communities. Far too many youth in the Philadelphia region are victimized or exposed to violence as part of their daily lives; and
WHEREAS, National Youth Violence Prevention Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about the problems of youth exposure to violence and educate the community about ways to stop or prevent violence; and
WHEREAS, Youth violence is a major public health concern; homicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 14 and 24. Across the nation, on average, 13 youth are murdered every day; and
WHEREAS, Firearm homicides and firearm suicides are higher in large metropolitan areas, with young people from the 50 largest cities nationwide accounting for 73% of firearm homicides and 39% of firearm suicides for youth ages 10 to 19; and
WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 700,000 young people ages 10 to 24 are treated in emergency departments every year for injures sustained from assaults - injuries that often have lifelong physical and emotional effects; and
WHEREAS, The juvenile violent crime arrest rate has fallen by 30% over five years, still in 2011, juveniles accounted for 11% of all violent crime arrests and 20% of all property crime arrests. Crime committed by youth hurts individuals, makes citizens feel unsafe, and impacts businesses and the community; and
WHEREAS, Costs associated with youth violence diminishes funds available for other community goals. The CDC surveillance data indicates that medical and loss of work costs associated with youth violence and injury exceeds $17 billion dollars; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia area is fortunate to have numerous organizations committed to violence prevention and sponsoring innovative programs focusing on preventing threats such as gun violence, juvenile justice recidivism, domestic violence, dating violence, school safety, physical and cyber bullying, and post-traumatic recovery; and
WHEREAS, Notable and award winning youth violence prevention organizations that support programs reaching out to Philadelphia's youth include, but are not limited to: Healing Hurt People affiliated with Drexel University College of Medicine and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and Headquarters for the National Network of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs, Philadelphia's Youth Violence Reduction Partnership and Focused Deterrence Programs, Youth ALIVE!, Peaceful Posse, the Mural Arts Guild Program, Penn Center for Youth and Family Trauma Response and Recovery (CYFTRR), the Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress and The Violence Prevention Initiative at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, CeaseFire PA, CeaseFire Philadelphia and Cradle2Grave at Temple University Hospital, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That council does hereby declare and recognize March 23 to 27, 2015 as Youth Violence Prevention Week in Philadelphia.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Healing Hurt People for their exemplary work in violence prevention programming and service to youth victims of violence in Philadelphia, as sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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