More than 150 young people from within Erie County will participate in a day-long seminar on youth gang and violence prevention, the first phase of a program by the Erie County Youth Bureau to educate students about the dangers of area gangs, the tactics they use to recruit new members, and healthy steps they can take to avoid falling into the gang culture. The event on Monday, February 15 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. will include two speakers who specialize in gang violence and youth empowerment. Moses Robinson, a member of the Rochester Police Department and president of the Western New York Chapter of the East Coast Gang Investigator’s Association, and Modie Cox, founder of “Winning Because I Tried,” will work with participants to identify problems and solutions faced by youth in their communities as it relates to gangs and violence.
The Erie County Youth Bureau annually grants more than $2 million dollars to positive youth development programs, special delinquency prevention programs, runaway/homeless youth agencies, municipal youth bureaus, and towns and villages throughout Erie County. Erie County-funded agency programs are all monitored through unannounced site visits, and agencies are currently in the process of implementing Results Based Accountability to ensure positive outcomes and data for youth participants. The Youth Bureau is advised by a 21 member volunteer board. The Youth Gang and Violence Prevention Day is an initiative of board members Tony Williams (Director of Operations, Northwest Buffalo Community Center) and Sean Lora-Hetzner (Agency Beneficiary, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County), and Youth Bureau employees Mark Gawronski, Nadia Moore, and David Rust.
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