Oklahoma City holds Summer of Peace Summit

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Specialists say gun violence normally escalates within the Oklahoma Metropolis metro through the summer time months.

On Saturday, religion and group leaders gathered to have an open dialogue about make the town safer and make 2022 the summer time of peace.

“Everyone needs peace. We need to create methods to open to the dialog,” mentioned Jabee Williams.

Cops, group leaders, and common residents got here collectively at an Oklahoma Metropolis church on Saturday to attempt to curb gun violence, deaths, and incarceration of youth through the summer time months in Oklahoma Metropolis.

“Gun violence is our greatest focus proper now,“ mentioned Deputy Chief Jason Clifton, of the Oklahoma Metropolis Police Division.

Police officers say management has not too long ago instituted weekly conferences to assessment all gun-related crimes and incidents. They are saying a majority of these summits provide nice perspective for change.

“We are able to’t do something with out the group and their emotions, their thoughts set, their understanding of what’s going on, issues. After we interact in these conversations, we do be taught rather a lot,” mentioned Clifton.

“It doesn’t matter what metropolis you might be in, everybody needs to stay free from gun violence,” mentioned Pastor Mike McBride.

McBride is the top of Reside Free USA, a group motion group primarily based in Berkley, California. He says his plan for peace is to make use of public well being methods to scale up the work that truly saves lives with out rising jail populations and with out breaking apart households.

“It’s confirmed to work in huge cities, small cities, Republican cities, Democratic cities, wealthy cities, poor cities, black cities, white cities. It’s only a peace-making technique,” mentioned McBride.

Native organizers say it is very important open up these discussions earlier than Juneteenth actions and earlier than youth are out of college for the summer time.

“We’re going to be engaged on a brand new mannequin for violence intervention and to create sources and educate on methods we intervene and have a peaceable summer time, this summer time within the metropolis,” mentioned Williams.

For extra info on the strategies of Rev. McBride, you’ll be able to go to livefreeusa.org