Phoenix Neighborhoods Stand Together

to Stop Gun Violence in South Phoenix

June 05 , 2008 by EditorA gun buy-back, a neighborhood cleanup and community walk are part of the “Take Back Your Neighborhood” campaign recently unveiled by Mayor Phil Gordon.

The month-long campaign will focus on four specific neighborhoods that, according to police, experience a disproportionate amount of gun violence and include several events specifically designed to make the neighborhoods a safer place.

Joining the mayor were Phoenix City Council members Michael Johnson, District 8, and Michael Nowakowski, District 7, and representatives of the Phoenix Police Department, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona, Silent Witness, Phoenix Fire Department, Silent Witness and Arizonans for Gun Safety.

The goal of the program is to empower the residents of these neighborhoods to take action to prevent future gun violence. The neighborhoods involved in the project and their boundaries are:

7/11 Fight Back (7th to 15th avenues and Buckeye Road to I-17), Lindo Park (19th to 23rd avenues and Roeser Road to Southern Avenue), South Vista (12th to 16th streets and Roeser Road to Southern Avenue), Hermoso Park (16th to 24th streets and Vineyard to Broadway roads).

Spearheading the Take Back Your Neighborhood program is Arizonans for Gun Safety, a nonprofit, community-based organization dedicated to reducing gun deaths and injuries.

In addition, several private individuals and companies have pledged their support, including APS, Gust Rosenfeld, Jerry and Joan Colangelo, Phoenix Community Alliance, SRP, the Arizona Republic and La Voz.

The Take Back Your Neighborhood program is a coordinated effort between the city of Phoenix, Phoenix Police Department, ATF, Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office and Arizonans for Gun Safety to dramatically reduce the amount of violent crime in the four Phoenix neighborhoods.

The events for the bilingual campaign include:

The “Steps to Stop Gun Violence” community walk 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday, June 14, at Lindo Park, 19th Avenue and Roeser Road, led by faith-based communities in the four neighborhoods. The walk will culminate with a free breakfast and the distribution of free gun locks.

Two job fairs scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, and Thursday, June 19, to help neighborhood residents take charge of their lives.

A neighborhood cleanup event 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 21, presented by the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department to help encourage community involvement. In addition to dumpsters and garbage bags, paint and rollers will be provided to stamp out graffiti.

A “no questions asked” gun buy-back program 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 28, will award a $100 grocery gift card to anyone who brings in a firearm. Buyback locations will include the Phoenix Police Department’s South Mountain Precinct, as well as community churches in each of the four participating neighborhoods.

A community celebration of Take Back Your Neighborhood month 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 28, from at the South Mountain Community Center. Activities will include music, food, games and free swimming in the community pool.

The Take Back Your Neighborhood campaign will include weekly door hangers on every one of the 4,000 homes and apartments in the participating communities, as well as billboards, posters and event fliers promoting specific events. Additionally, 600 free gun locks will be distributed throughout the duration of the program to promote firearm safety.

For more information about the program, visit http://takebackyourneighborhood.com or call 602-222-5400.