The city of Columbus announced new initiatives and an expansion of some existing efforts to stem a spike in homicides and violent crimes. Columbus Mayor Andy Ginther unveiled the first of several new ideas from discussions he s held since the start of the year with community members, faith leaders, law enforcement, and high school students.
One new program involves a collaboration with the mentoring group Men of Linden and New Salem Community Development Corporation called Growing U.P. An initiative that provides comprehensive education, development, and employment that s focused on young men from the Linden community who need stable jobs so they can raise a family and contribute to the community, Mayor Ginther said. We anticipate reaching 30 young men through the pilot program and will expand this program over the next couple years to serve even more. Next we are enlisting End The Violence, a program by two former gang members to assist youth and young adults in manuevering t