TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Tallahassee Police Department's Youth Citizens Advisory Council will head to Cascades Park Friday for their pre-summer Youth Summit.
"It's for the youth, by the youth," said Tallahassee Police Department Communications Director Alicia Turner.
Tallahassee police say it's an opportunity for kids to make their voices heard when it comes to stopping violence.
A new report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement counts 310 total juvenile arrests from the Tallahassee Police Department, 128 more from the Leon County Sheriff's office. Both in 2020.
The Tallahassee Urban League offers a variety of programs to help prevent youth crime. President and CEO Curtis Taylor said the community needs to talk about it because "The police cannot be everywhere. When those bullets start flying, they don't have names on them."
The Centers for Disease Control and prevention listed guns as the leading cause of death for U.S children and teens in 2019. Activist Michaela Denny with Moms Demand Action of Tallahassee says gun safety should also be part of the conversation.
"We want children to be safe in their homes and in their schools, and having guns locked up or limiting gun access is an important aspect of that," said Denny.
The Youth Citizens Advisory Council will lead discussions on these topics and more starting June 25 at 6 p.m.
