INSURING THE SAFETY OF ALL CITIZENS THROUGH TRUST AND SUPPORT – Message From The Mayor

I recently announced the Fort Wayne UNITED program. It’s a mayoral initiative designed to enhance opportunities, advance youth advocacy and help ensure the safety of all residents with a focus on African American men and boys.

Leaders in criminal justice, non-profit, clergy, health, and education, along with representatives from the Fort Wayne Police Department joined me at the event. For the past several months, this dedicated team has been working to make Fort Wayne the best community possible and move Fort Wayne UNITED forward.

Fort Wayne UNITED places two national efforts, Cities United and My Brother’s Keeper, into one program to make a meaningful difference with an emphasis on listening, input, letting voices be heard, and engagement.

The vision is for every black male in Fort Wayne to be respected and valued with an opportunity to reach their full potential. The mission is to advocate for and implement policies, practices, and procedures to ensure equity and opportunity for black fathers, brothers, and sons at home, work, school, and community through collaborative efforts.

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Goals to lead to positive outcomes include engagement of black men and boys, the community, policymakers, philanthropic community, and data gathering.

Programming as part of Fort Wayne UNITED under the direction of Iric Headly includes:

-Fort Wayne UNITED L.I.V.E. sessions (Listening to input and voices through engagement) – An effort to create a safe place for African American males to share their thoughts and concerns on a variety of topics including education, employment, and family.

-Fort Wayne UNITED L.I.V.E. forums – Quarterly meetings bring the Fort Wayne Police Department and African American males together to discuss perceptions, perspectives, and experiences.

-Fort Wayne UNITED Public Safety Academy training – In partnership with the Fort Wayne Police Department, African American males are exposed to real-life scenarios that allow them to experience training, experiences, and challenges that local law enforcement faces daily.

-Fort Wayne UNITED late night basketball program – This effort provides young people with positive activities and reduce the likelihood of engagement in unlawful activity.

-Fort Wayne UNITED Choose Success Initiative – African American males learn about the positive outcomes of good decisions and the negative consequences of poor decisions. Young people are exposed to hands-on experiences through the building trades and courtroom proceedings.

I’m encouraged by the innovative approaches being implemented to move our City forward in the right direction. Now more than ever, we must come together as a community to trust and support one another. In Fort Wayne, we strive each day to be a safe and welcoming place as we work to be a leader in reducing violence among young people. It’s great to see individuals, families, community groups, and law enforcement united behind a cause to be supportive of efforts to meet the needs of every person who calls Fort Wayne home.