TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Money that supports at-risk youth, organizations say, is one place to start when it comes to addressing gun violence in Tallahassee. The Life Center in Tallahassee is an incubator for non-profits in the social services sector. They said leaders need to take a look at the big picture when it comes to the cost of violence in our city.
Kevin Warren is CEO of the Life Center. He brings up the recently released Anatomy of a Homicide report in Leon County. That report found the cost of a single murder could range anywhere from $838,000 to $5.1 million.
That's taking into account victim costs, judicial system costs, and even the loss of productivity from the victim and the suspect. With those numbers in mind, Warren said money should be invested in programs like athletics, mentoring, and parent support.
"For us, it's really a holistic approach that we need to take when it comes to reducing gun violence in a sense that at first, identifying youth who are victims of gun violence, and then we are able to identify those youth who are likely at an increased risk to offend or to commit criminal acts," said Warren.
The Tallahassee City Commission said they will start listening to ideas during their first commission meeting off of their break in September.
