Faced with an uptick in youth crime and drug overdoses, several county departments have combined forces to promote a 2023 Summer of Peace. By engaging young people with games, food and information the hope is tl lead them to alternatives to crime and eventually prison.
For four hours Friday, those living in the White Oak area of Silver Spring threw a football with police officers, played video games, painted, ate fried chicken and potatoes, kicked around a soccer ball and listened to music.
And according to Street Outreach Network, an outlet of the Montgomery County’s Health and Human Services (DHHS), which sponsored the event, they went home with information on programs, services and activities open to them.
Just a few criminals can ruin a neighborhood, declared State’s Attorney for Montgomery County John McCarthy. He pointed to the arrests and convictions of eight people ranging in age from their late teens to their early twenties. Guns, 83 fentanyl pills and $12,000 in cash were recovered following a search of an apartment on Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown, according to McCarthy.
McCarthy, Dr. James Bridgers, director of the Montgomery County DHHS and Daniel Hill, team leader at Street Outreach Network, all stressed everyone in the community must work together to stop the violence.
McCarthy also said cutting down on truancy among Montgomery County Public School students will also help curb youth crime. He sharply criticized MCPS for not coming down harder on students who are frequently absent.
MCM reached out to MCPS for a comment but did not receive a response.
In September of 2021, MCM reported that more than 8,000 students do not attend school on a regular basis. There are about 160,000 students at MCPS.
The Summer of Peace’s next event is July 14 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Garland Park-Long Branch, 8601 Garland Avenue, followed by July 21 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pembridge Square Apartments, 2315 Blueridge Avenue.
HOT and lots of fun at tonight’s Summer of Peace event!@MoCoDHHS #violenceprevention #safesummer pic.twitter.com/CFjpjaeOz5
— Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office (@MCSAONEWS) July 7, 2023
