An Update From County Executive Alsobrooks
Dear Prince Georgians:
Last year, we launched our new anti-gun violence initiative, the Hope in Action Anti-Violence Project, in an effort to address the rise of violent crime in our communities. This project, spearheaded by the Prince George’s County Office of Community Relations, works to strengthen sustainable peace efforts in our County by helping to reduce violent crime through collaboration with local law enforcement and community stakeholders.
This week, we are excited to announce that we are forming the Hope in Action Anti-Violence Project’s Violence Prevention Task Force. The formation of this Task Force is one of the four strategies being implemented by the project, and we are seeking County residents who want to get involved and help us address the issue of violence in the County.
The Violence Prevention Task Force will consist of 21 members to include County residents, faith-based leaders, community advocates, police personnel, business leaders and County government officials. The Task Force will work to:
- Prevent violence and abusive behavior before it begins: The Task Force is charged with identifying ways to help young people – both those who have been exposed to gun violence and those who have not – break the cycle of violence and develop healthy relationship skills before abuse begins. The Task Force will help to plan family-friendly, anti-violence events alongside the “Hope Collective” (nonprofit partners).
- Map critical community needs: The Task Force is charged with identifying critical areas in the County where violence is an issue and working on a comprehensive plan to aid in resource sharing with nonprofit partners and various stakeholders.
- Create strategies for long-term violence reduction: The Task Force is charged with identifying ways to reduce recidivism and making recommendations on resources needed that will provide support for youth and young adults to become productive members of society. The recommendations will be identified in a Task Force Report.
We are accepting applications for the Violence Prevention Task Force until 5:00 PM on Friday, February 11. Individuals who would like to be considered for the Task Force must be a Prince George’s County resident and should complete and submit the application to HIATaskForce@co.pg.md.us by the deadline. For more information, visit the Office of Community Relations website here or call 301-952-4729. The issue of violence can only be solved by the County government and community working together, and we look forward to receiving applications from Prince Georgians interested in serving on this important Task Force.
Earlier this week, we took an opportunity to recognize the undefeated DMV Knights DaWave Boys, a youth football team in Prince George’s County that went on to play at the American Youth Football National Championship. It was a pleasure to present them with official citations from my office to congratulate them for representing our County so well, and we also took the opportunity to recognize the coaches, parents, and other family members who continue to support this amazing team both on and off the field.
We also recognized Sergeant Kwesi Dadzie of our Prince George’s County Police Department for his oversight of the Department’s many community engagement efforts, including the Police Athletic League and Toys for Tots. Last year, he and his team helped facilitate the donation of 65,000 toys to 15,000 children and 5,000 families during the annual Toys for Tots distribution, which was the largest charitable toy event on the East Coast. We were proud to present Sergeant Dadzie with an official proclamation recognizing his exemplary service to our Department and the community.
As you can see, there are so many great things happening in and around our County, and last night, I was proud to join Ebenezer A.M.E. Church for a virtual Fireside Chat, moderated by Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd. If you missed this important discussion, we encourage you to watch it and learn more about the exciting things we are doing to build a stronger Prince George’s, together. You can view the discussion here.
Finally, we want to share with you our 2021 Year in Review video. We have already hit the ground running in 2022, but we want to take a moment to reflect on the progress we made in 2021. We have so much to be proud of as a community, because together, we accomplished so much for Prince George’s County. Let’s continue working together to move Prince George’s County forward and ensure greatness will thrive here for generations to come.
Yours in service,
Angela AlsobrooksPrince George’s County Executive
January 27 Community Connections Newsletter
See the Community Connections Newsletter for updates on COVID-19 Testing, Prince George’s County Health Connect – Open Enrollment Deadline Extension, 2022 Virtual Women’s Commission Legislative Briefing, Prince George’s County Judiciary Equal Justice Community Forum, PGCMLS Workforce and Community Development Resources, Celebrating Black History Month 2022, and more.