Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria recently had the pleasure of joining fellow mayors of the Metro Mayors Coalition, Senator Sal DiDomenico, along with many other State Senators and Representatives at the 8th Annual Community Safety Day at the State House.

The event assembled administration officials, mayors, city managers, prevention leaders, law enforcement officials and youth from across the state to discuss effective ways to combat youth and gang violence and to educate state legislators about the importance of supporting prevention programs such as the Shannon Grant and the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative.

Cities in the Commonwealth need services to help young people grow into healthy and productive members of society. Both the Shannon Grant and the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) programs fund essential law enforcement and prevention initiatives in those municipalities hardest hit by youth and gang violence. The monies are used to maintain essential prevention services and to strengthen critical relationships between community-based organizations, law enforcement agencies, the courts and other partners. The Safe and Successful Youth Initiative line item is also critical, in that it provides funding for services working with the highest “proven risk” young adults and aims to prevent them from engaging in violent crimes.

“Community Safety Day is an important way for cities across the Commonwealth to come together in support of these vital state funded programs,” states Mayor DeMaria, “In Everett funds from the Shannon Grant and the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative are used to help our police and school departments, as well as our local youth organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club, build relationships with the students and young people in our community in order to create trust and open lines of communication. That is the best strategy we have for reaching our at-risk youth and preventing them from engaging in criminal acts and violent behavior.”