Denver gives grants to local groups combating youth violence

After a week of violence that claimed the lives of four Denver teenagers, city leadership on Tuesday announced they will provide $125,000 to organizations working to prevent youth violence.

Each organization received between $5,000 and $8,000 from the city’s general fund. The organizations primarily work in the southwest, north and northeast neighborhoods of Denver, though some are citywide.

“Having grown up in this community and seeing the cycle of violence to come and go, it’s past time for us to find a way to disrupt this cycle,” Mayor Michael Hancock said in an interview Tuesday.

The aid is part of the city’s ongoing effort to address the violence among Denver’s youth. Ten teenagers have been killed in homicides so far this year, more than all last year, when eight teens were killed.

Hancock created the Youth Violence Prevention Action Table in 2019 to address the rising violence, and the group has been meeting for six months. The group — composed of representatives from local nonprofits and universities as well as city, state and federal government agencies — gave some recommendations for change last week, and Hancock said he expects more recommendations next week.

The group’s goal, Hancock said, is to address systemic, root causes of violence.

“This time the team and I decided to slow down a little bit and take a more broad approach to it.”

Some of the ideas presented last week included better using youth groups that are already in place, making mental health services more accessible to youth in their own community, and leveraging existing job training programs to better help young people.

The Youth Violence Prevention Action Table’s interim report, delayed due to the pandemic, is expected by the end of July and a final report with recommendations by the end of the year, said Ryan Luby, spokesman for the Denver City Attorney’s

Office.

“I’d rather do it right, not fast,” Hancock said.

Several organizations have called out Hancock for a perceived lack of action.

Funneling more money toward organizations working on the ground is crucial for progress, said Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore, who represents the far northeast. Microgrants are a good step, she said, but more investment is necessary so those organizations can meet the need and pay their staff a livable wage.

“Does that money come out of the safety department budget?” she said. “Does it come out of the Denver Police Department’s funds?”

Hundreds of community members gathered Monday night at two meetings to discuss steps they could take without the help of police or the city. They discussed setting up safe zones where young people can access services or hang out without fear of violence. The groups also talked about creating citizen patrols to keep eyes on neighborhoods and intervene before violence can start.