When more than 500 people gathered to memorialize the recent death of 17-year-old Darryl Shannon Pickett, the Evanston residents attending the candlelight vigil last Thursday gave the image of a community united against youth violence.
Pickett, an Evanston Township High School senior, was shot and killed June 28 in an alley near Church Street and Dodge Avenue, just a block from school. A fellow student, also 17, was apprehended and charged with the homicide.
At the vigil, residents came together to offer prayers for the victim and decry youth violence.
“I’m here to support the effort against gun violence,” said Aryn Terry, an ETHS student. “It took something like this to for the community to get together, but (gun violence) needs to stop.”
Terry’s statement is echoed by other community members in the wake of the shooting.
“It’s positive in that everyone comes together, but it’s sad that it takes a tragic event to do that,” said Cmdr. James Elliot of Evanston Police.
Youth violence is not new to Evanston. A Chicago youth died in a drive-by shooting on the 2000 block of Darrow Avenue earlier this year. In 2005, a 22 year old was fatally shot outside the Keg, 810 Grove St., by a 19-year-old male. And in 1996, a youth was slain on the same corner of Church Street and Dodge Avenue.
Many of these violent events have drawn the attention of the community, but with the crimes continuing unabated, some residents call into question whether current efforts against youth violence will solve the problem.
This recent murder is part of a larger problem, said Hecky Powell, former president of the Skokie/Evanston District 65 School Board and owner of Hecky’s Barbeque.
“It’s not the first time this has happened at Church and Dodge,” Powell said. “We’re a community that likes to put band-aids on the problem rather than using stitches.” Focusing on youth violence Available statistics justify the recent focus on combating youth violence. More than 30 percent of violent crime cases identified youths aged 19 and under as perpetrators, according to a DAILY student based on EPD’s Daily Crime Bulletin Archives.
Youth are in an age group probably more prone to engage in illicit activities, said EPD Deputy Chief Joseph Bellino.
Bellino added that violent crimes committed by youth and adults should not necessarily be viewed the same. Although the two may share similar labels, violent crimes committed by adults are often more severe and are treated differently by the justice system.
According to the study, the 5- to 19-year-olds who represent 15 percent of Evanston’s population commit 30 percent of violent crimes, suggesting the community’s efforts are not misplaced.
But measuring the quantitative effects of the programs will be difficult.
Causes and preventionMany community members disagree about how to effectively reach out to Evanston youths. The Evanston Youth Initiative – the most active anti-youth violence effort not affiliated with the city government – saw falling membership as a result of such disagreements, according to Carolyn Murray, the group’s planning director.
Although the group had 65 community members involved when it was initially forming, the number of active members has fallen to 15, Murray said.
“(Everyone) couldn’t agree on what would be the best way to approach the initiative,” she said.
A single mother of three, Murray said she became active in the group because she was concerned with the lack of activities available to youths.
“We have no existent bowling alley, no roller skating rink,” she said. “(A city commissioned) report even said it was cheaper in Evanston to get high than go to a movie.”
But Hecky Powell said he disagrees with most community members on the roots and treatment of youth violence.
“When we talk about youth violence, people think, ‘Let’s give (kids) things to do,'” the Hecky’s Barbecue owner said. “Kids have things to do.”
Powell said he believes violence starts in the home, and that efforts should focus on influencing youth and families in the home. According to Powell, most residents don’t want to address shifting demographics either.
“Evanston had a strong middle class (black) community and hardly any Hispanics,” he said, speaking of growing up in Evanston. “(Now) we have more of a low income black community and the same with the Hispanic community.”
He added that most low-income blacks and Hispanics are hard working, but bring with them crime problems from urban areas.
Powell did not comment on how he would specifically address the problem and only said that he was working with Scot McKay, owner of the Clean Plate Club restaurant group, to develop their own program.
A Slew of ProgramsForums for citizens to voice their concerns on youth violence have proliferated in recent years. Organizations such as the Evanston Youth Initiative, the city’s Youth Engagement Initiative and ETHS have hosted discussions and workshops on youth issues and how violence should be prevented.The Evanston Youth Initiative held a parent summit at the end of June and has held community workshops and forums since 2005, Murray said.
The Youth Engagement Initiative also hosted a youth summit in June, said Sol Anderson, the city’s Youth Coordinator. The initiative is creating a council to provide youths with a voice in government.
Likewise, ETHS held a community meeting this month discussing youth issues. Starting this fall, the school staff will bolster efforts to give individual attention to students with academic, social or disciplinary problems. Faculty can refer students to a number of programs, including restorative justice, conflict resolution and anger management.
“We think we’re going to be able to create more safety nets,” said Superintendent Eric Witherspoon. “Over 85% (of students) tell us said they feel safe when they come into school. We know how important they are.”
Reach Jake Spring at [email protected].
