AKRON, Ohio — Cochise Griffin has a bright future ahead of him. He's getting ready to graduate from East High School in Akron and is excited to play center for the Central State football team in the fall. But as he prepares to leave home, he worries about crime in his hometown.
"I'm pretty concerned. It's a lot of people losing loved ones to gun violence and crimes," Griffin said.
At just 18 years old, Griffin has experienced the heartache of losing people close to him to gun violence several times.
"I lost a childhood friend. I lost two cousins, so yeah, I've been around it," he said.
Akron has continued to look for ways to cut down on violence in the city, allocating a lot of ARPA dollars to fund programs that steer younger people away from violence and towards a brighter future.
This summer, the city is launching Street Team, a pilot program to focus on community violence intervention. Mayor Shammas Malik announced the program during his State of the City address.
According to city leaders, the program will hire and train "Credible Messengers" who will speak directly with those who are most likely to be involved in violence, especially young people.
The messengers will have a history of involvement in the criminal justice system but are now in a place where they have turned their lives around.
It's not clear yet how many of the messengers will be hired, but they will help kids understand the consequences of their actions while providing them with support and options that allow them to develop goals and reach them.
Tony Ingram, Akron public safety strategist, said the messengers will have "street cred" and will have the ability to connect with the younger generation.
"Someone who has that street cred— who's now telling a different story that you can change your life. It doesn't have to be about violence all the time," Ingram said.
According to Ingram, there are similar programs in Detroit, Indianapolis, Newark and Los Angeles.
Akron plans to start small with the program in one neighborhood. That neighborhood hasn't been identified yet.
"We want to introduce this concept and then build from there," he said.
Akron has seen about 170 homicides since 2020. While the number of murders has decreased in the last few years, gun violence remains a top concern among residents and city leaders.
Pastor Herman Matherson from The House of the Lord Church said he's "incredibly concerned" about violence and its impact on youth.
"They have diminished hope. Diminished hope to the point that they put a number on how long they feel they're going to live, which just about brings me to tears when they talk like that," Matherson said.
However, Matherson feels hope can be renewed if troubled young people hear from former prisoners who have changed for the better.
"Because they have a story to tell. It's not fiction. It's not theoretical. No, I lived this, so I can speak with some authority on what I experienced, how it impacted me and impacted others," Matherson explained.
A lot of details still need to be ironed out before the Street Team is launched by mid-to-late summer, including how much money will be budgeted for it and how many messengers will be hired.
Griffin believes the program is a good idea, and he's happy it will get underway before he heads off to college.
"You don't know what it takes to change, and it may just take anything. All that really matters is helping the kids."
