Police and community members honored for their efforts to reduce youth crime

WASHINGTON, DC, USA — On Saturday, members of the Deanwood Community, Fire and Emergency Services, and Metropolitan Police were honored at Liberty Mission Church for their work to reduce violent crime in the region, particularly juvenile delinquency.

“Together we can go far. That was today’s theme,” said Donald Ross, pastor of Liberty Mission Church. “We had this vision and understanding when we first came to this church in 2017: If we want to make a difference in this community, we have to work with people.”

Like 6th District Commander Jaron Hickman of the DC Metro Police, who came to show his support.

“I think it bridges that gap so the community can see that law enforcement and the church are present in the community and we all have the same common goal,” Hickman said.

“The police have made it clear before that we need to work together because we have a different impact on young people than they do. It just takes everyone,” Ross said.

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This winter, Ross recognized the participation of seven teenagers in the church’s TARGETSS program, which stands for Teaching Against Rage, Guns and Embracing Tolerance and Social Skills.

“We have one of the highest crime rates and one of the highest gun violence rates. So get involved in programs like this because it will keep you out of the way of evil,” said Holden Crocheron, who participated in TARGETSS.

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Police say community partners like Liberty Mission Church are a critical factor in reducing juvenile crime.

“It’s something you can do without getting paid,” Hickman said. “It’s a good feeling when you get a kid you see going down the wrong path to do something positive.”

According to Ross, this initiative was encouraged by officials in Washington DC.

“They’ve been saying lately that they need church leaders and community leaders because we have some contact with the people and children in the community,” Ross said.

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