DAYTON — Leaders in the City of Dayton are working to fight back against gun violence.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Mayor Jeffrey Mims sat down for a one-on-one with News Center 7′s Mike Campbell.
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The Peace Initiative, which is an effort to reduce gun violence, moved into high gear last summer when an uptick in shootings took several young people’s lives.
In June, seven young people were shot when a pop-up house party was interrupted by a drive-by shooting near Home Avenue.
22-year-old Donna Zile and 18-year-old Jhakavion Casey were killed in the shooting.
A 20-year-old woman, two 17-year-old girls and two more 18-year-old men were also injured in the shooting.
“It’s so important for me to have safety and peace,” Mims said.
Mims said he is not turning a blind eye.
He’s been working to find potential solutions for months and recently started a partnership with an organization called Cure Violence Global.
Mims said this organization has helped the city create the Dayton Peace Initiative.
“Looking at Philadelphia and Chicago, we’re looking at a minimum of 20% reduction in crime,” Mims said.
He said Cure Violence Global is a few months into their work here.
The organization obtained Dayton’s five-year crime data in January and is holding several meetings with community stakeholders this month.
In March, the organization plans to do in-person assessments around Dayton, to find community-based organizations to partner with.
Mims said he would like to move faster but wants to do this right with partners he can count on.
He believes they will make requests, find the right community organizations, and start the work by July.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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