Tacoma youth violence: Join us Thursday to discuss solutions with community leaders
Violence among young people in Tacoma and Pierce County this year has ended the lives of teenagers, devastated families and left city leaders exasperated in a search for solutions.
It’s a dispiriting crisis, but there are people in our communities working hard to put a stop to the violence. Tacomans are helping victims heal in the wake of trauma, providing mentoring and mental health resources to youth who feel lost or unheard and creating spaces for kids to be kids.
The News Tribune, along with Safe Streets, a nonprofit that organizes neighborhood advocacy groups and youth programming, and Bethlehem Baptist Church will host a live panel discussion on Thursday about the history of crime and violence in Tacoma, current efforts to make the city a safer place for young people and what work lies ahead.
Why is youth violence happening, and what factors are driving it? How have issues around inequity, mental health and the legal system affected what’s happening? How are kids staying busy and getting involved throughout Tacoma? What can you do now to help?
Panelists include a leader of Tacoma’s community trauma response team, a local behavioral health counselor, the city’s first Black city manager, a juvenile court probation manager and the head of a project working to strengthen youth development and advance community-centered justice systems. The panel will be moderated by The News Tribune staff writer Peter Talbot, who has been reporting on youth violence with a team of reporters.
The panel is Thursday, May 4, at Bethlehem Baptist, 4818 E. Portland Ave. The conversation will begin at 6:30 p.m. and run until 8 p.m.
The Panelists
Marlin Henderson, case manager at Consejo Counseling and Referral Services: Henderson began working with Consejo Counseling, a Latino-focused behavioral health organization, several years ago, but his work in youth development and violence intervention stretches back 20-plus years. Henderson moved to Tacoma as a teenager, and he was incarcerated at age 21. After he was released, he began using his experience to connect with young people while volunteering through his church.
Kaitlan Ohler, director of the Imagine Justice Project: The Imagine Justice Project is a collaboration of youth-serving organizations working to reduce violence and transform the juvenile justice system. Ohler first coordinated the project when it was organized under Safe Streets and later helped it transition to the Tacoma Community Boat Builders. In June, IJP will publish a community-informed youth violence prevention plan as a part of an initiative funded by the state Department of Commerce.
Jim Walton, Civil Rights-era leader and former Tacoma city manager: Walton began bringing his perspective from decades as a Civil Rights organizer and City Hall leader to The News Tribune’s editorial board in 2020. He became Tacoma’s first Black city manager in 2003 and retired two years later. He also co-founded the local Black Collective and remains on community boards.
Candace Wesley, co-founder of Tacoma Cease Fire: Wesley started her grassroots advocacy organization in 2019 with James Watson, a longtime pastor. Tacoma locals, Wesley and Watson have decades of experience in trauma response. In March, the City of Tacoma recognized a partnership with Tacoma Cease Fire to implement a team that responds to traumatic incidents to assist in healing and provide referrals to resources for those affected by serious loss.
Kevin Williams, probation manager for Pierce County Juvenile Court: Williams has worked in the justice system for more than 20 years and has said his team of supervisors and staff don’t shy away from the history of racism and oppression within it. Williams is passionate about bettering the system, and for him that means improving the well-being of Black children, who he said are over-represented at every decision point in the criminal justice system.
