We, the undersigned students, teachers, families, board members, residents, organizations, and business owners of Brooklyn, are calling for an end to youth gun violence in our city and improved support for our young adults through expanded partnerships with the NYPD, creation of legislation in support of school to school information sharing, improved use of violence interrupters in our communities, additional funding for school social emotional supports, and increased attention to afterschool programs and job opportunities for our youth. 

Gun violence is a pervasive issue in our country and it has devastating consequences in our schools and in our communities. On March 27, our country lost three more children and three more staff members in yet another school mass shooting. When will it stop?

As of February 1, 2023, in the past year, there have been 568 shootings incidents in Brooklyn, 24% of which involved adults under 25. Recently, gun violence has hit even closer to home with shootings near Grand Street Campus High School and Williamsburg Charter High School, which left community members of both schools traumatized. When will it stop?

Access to guns is a serious public health issue and gun violence is a preventable problem - both of which demand immediate attention. Our schools need to be spaces of academic, social, emotional, and physical safety for our youth; however, our schools are increasingly at risk as the number of guns on the streets continues to rise. With the uptick in youth violence across New York City, it is now, more than ever, imperative that we step up and do everything in our power to protect the youth in our schools. We are calling out to our fellow Brooklyn residents to take action against violence and sign this petition to GROW a better and safer community. 

GROW is calling on the NYPD and city and state officials to support the below initiatives to end youth gun violence near our schools, neighborhoods, and businesses via: 

1. Expanded partnership between the NYPD and our schools
   GROW is calling on the NYPD to increase transparency regarding criminally-affiliated students located in our schools. Schools need all hands on deck lines of communication from the NYPD to protect our students and communities. While the on-site presence of trained NYPD staff is appreciated, the absence of continual and consistent communication has led to dangerous situations on school campuses. It is time for the NYPD and our schools to communicate so that preventative actions can be taken before violence enters our communities. 
2. Creation of legislation in support of school to school information sharing
   In order for our schools to be prepared for all situations, schools must be allowed to share information regarding violent students transferring from one school to another. Currently, this information is limited. GROW respects the privacy of our students in New York State and every student’s right to restorative justice; however, in certain instances, schools need to be able to communicate critical behavioral information to other schools relating to any transferring students that would affect the safety of the broader community. GROW calls on NYS legislators to draft and put forth legislation that would allow for interschool sharing of specific discipline information. 
3. Improved coordination of violence interrupters in our communities
   Across Brooklyn, violence interrupters are a critical component of gun violence prevention and community safety. By de-escalating potentially violent situations, they help to build stronger, more resilient communities. While GROW appreciates city efforts to double the number of violence interrupters in recent years, the city needs to improve organization and streamline communication with these groups in order for schools to effectively coordinate, mediate, and prevent neighborhood tensions from hitting a boiling point in our communities. 
4. Additional funding for social-emotional supports in our schools
   New York City schools and its surrounding communities require a comprehensive investment of resources to address the social-emotional needs of our students. Our youth need regular access to on-site counselors, social workers, and psychologists who are trained to address the complex needs of students navigating our current societal climate. While GROW appreciates the pandemic stimulus funding schools have received, we are calling on our legislators to commit to providing sustained funding for our schools that will support lasting mental health efforts in our communities. 
5. Expanded community hiring efforts for our young adults 
   In Mayor Adams’ Blueprint to End Gun Violence he says that his administration will “use the City’s enormous purchasing power to create job opportunities for New Yorkers because [we know] the best antidote to crime is a career.” In addition, Mayor Adams lauded the launching of an unprecedented New York City Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) in the summer of 2022. GROW commends Mayor Adams for committing resources to SYEP, a critical program that has resulted in decreases in violent and other serious crimes among “at risk” youth in the year or two after participating in the program; however, GROW calls on Mayor Adams and our local and state legislators to expand these efforts year round. Our schools need support finding our Brooklyn youth jobs, extracurricular activities, and internship opportunities to establish a sense of after-school responsibility and keep our students engaged and safe year round.

We, the educators and community members of Brooklyn who have witnessed gun violence this past month are asking that you sign this petition, share it with friends and family, and join us in standing up with our youth to protect our schools, our neighborhoods, and the borough that we call home. 

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Williamsburg Charter High School (WCHS), located on the border of East Williamsburg and Bushwick, is the longest operating community charter high school in Brooklyn. Since opening in 2004, WCHS has prided itself on being a safe place for its 963 students in grades 9-12 and robust staff. Following a shooting outside of school, WCHS teachers and staff formed GROW, a community coalition aimed at curbing the effects of gun violence in our community. This is part of the school’s greater CARE campaign detailing efforts to work with the community, take action, recover, and continue to enforce safety measures at the school. GROW hosted an anti-gun violence rally on March 29 and we are hoping to plan more in the coming weeks.