State Rep. Eric Pettigrew counters youth violence with street outreach

In response to continued youth and gang violence statewide, Rep. Eric Pettigrew (D-Seattle) focused on a preventative rather than punitive approach to the problem.

Last year, Pettigrew led an effort to secure approximately $3.7 million from the Washington auto theft prevention authority account for competitive grants to community-based organizations. Today, that money has translated into increased services for 565 at-risk youth.

Provided intervention services included individual needs assessment and support in accessing services, job searching assistance, encouraging participation in school and positive activities, and street outreach.

Aimed at helping young people who are the hardest to relate to and most difficult to reach, Pettigrew strengthened preventive measures by helping fund “foot soldiers,” which are people and organizations that directly interact with at-risk youth on the streets.

“As complicated as it might be, it all boils down to one simple formula,” Pettigrew said. “It’s about helping those young people relate to someone who will have an influence on their lives.” Pettigrew said that the secured funding was an attempt to work in collaboration with some of the more established non-profit organizations and support foot soldiers’ efforts as a way to build relationships with at-risk youth.

Pettigrew said that these services aren’t aimed at the young people typically found at traditional outreach facilities such as the Boys & Girls Club. Instead, the focus is on young people who have been in the system or come from families that have been in the system. This population often doesn’t have the support networks to prevent them from being involved in criminal activities.

“I was one of those young people,” said J’Quai Holiday, 27, and participant in the Alive and Free Program, which is a street outreach program through the Metrocenter YMCA in Seattle. “I grew up in a broken home. I’ve always wanted to do something different, but the community and the environment I was in just didn’t provide that for me so I was drawn into the types of activities that I’m fighting now. I do Alive and Free because I know that it works-it saved my life.”

Pettigrew said that he will continue advocating for at-risk youth by working to maintain strong support for prevention efforts such as street outreach programs.