Mayor talks about city’s gun violence
By Tom Lehman
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HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — It’s been a violent several weeks in Harrisburg. At one point, there were eight shootings in eight days.
Mayor Wanda Williams said the city plans to unveil a new crime strategy as early as next week, though she said there’s one particular part of the violence that’s been difficult to understand.
“How do you address gun violence when you have 13- and 14-year-olds out here with a gun?” she said.
Williams said too many young people are getting tied up in gun violence.
“It certainly breaks my heart because I know it’s leading a life of crime to where they shouldn’t be. They should be in school, being educated. Instead, they’re going to be in facilities,” she said.
Some have wondered if the city should be offering more programming to keep kids from getting involved in risky activity, especially during the summer months.
“We certainly have a slate of things that we’re trying to do. Starting in April, we’re going to do something every month that surrounds kids to keep them occupied, to keep them involved,” Williams said.
The mayor didn’t offer many details about the city’s response to the recent trend of gun violence. She and police Commissioner Tom Carter plan to reveal more next week.
Williams noted that crime is not just a problem in the capital city.
“It’s just not Harrisburg. It’s not just a select part of Harrisburg. It’s everywhere,” she said.
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