Anti-violence programs aren't in one of S.F.'s most violent neighborhoods

"On Tuesday, he will introduce a resolution calling on city leaders to fund violence prevention programs for the neighborhood's youth, who he says are getting caught up in the area's drug and crime troubles. Across the city, programs like these are credited with reducing violence by helping young people who might otherwise be recruited by criminal enterprises with after-school programs, job training opportunities, or just a space to hang out."

""Over the last month or so, we've seen an escalating level of violence within the community, and specifically amongst transitional-aged youth," said Mahmood, referring to young adults aged 18 to 24 who were raised in the neighborhood.The Tenderloin is home to the highest concentration of youths in the city and studies show guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens across the country."

""Kids that were raised in the neighborhood are now at this age where they no longer have a support network," Mahmood said. "These teenagers and transitional-aged youth ... they go outside and all they see is an open air drug market, and that's what they're being exposed to." Mahmood added that a transitional-aged youth also died of a drug overdose that month, and that a gun was discovered in a children's park."

Police reports show violent crime in San Francisco concentrates in the Tenderloin, Bayview-Hunters Point, and the Mission. Bayview-Hunters Point and the Mission receive government funding for violence-prevention programs, while the Tenderloin receives none. District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood will introduce a resolution asking city leaders to fund youth-focused violence-prevention programs in the Tenderloin. Citywide programs reduce violence by offering after-school activities, job training, and safe spaces for at-risk youth. The Tenderloin has the highest concentration of youths in the city and has seen escalating violence among transitional-aged youth, including recent shootings and a drug overdose.

Read at Mission Local