State and local officials are trying to fight gang violence in Prince George’s County Public Schools, rolling out a $100,000 program in two of the district’s most troubled middle schools. More than 1,800 gang members belong to about 250 crews across Prince George’s, according to the county Youth and Gang Violence Taskforce.
Benjamin Stoddert Middle and Thurgood Marshall Middle, both in Temple Hills, are in “very challenging parts of our community” where gang activity and bullying are particularly problematic, said Bonita Coleman-Potter, deputy superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools.
“We can contain these behaviors in the schools … but if it happens outside in the community and flows back into the schools, then we really have a problem,” she said.
To that end, a $50,000 grant from Maryland’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention is being matched with another $50,000 from the United Way of the National Capital Area, to create seminars, films and other programs to keep kids out of gangs — and teach gang members how to get out.
The lessons also will bring awareness about bullying, whose victims might find gang life attractive, said Stoddert Principal Hillary Garner: “They’re looking for protection.”
Using the grant, local church Community of Hope will increase its after-school offerings to add more projects in film, technology, music, construction and entrepreneurship.
“It offers our students an outlet to allow them to explore these interests, when they normally would be at home or doing activities that don’t lead to good choices,” Garner said.
Last year, students at both Stoddert and Marshall failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress, federal benchmarks for improvement in reading and math. Just 21 percent of Stoddert eighth-graders demonstrated proficiency on the state math exam, along with 51 percent in reading. At Marshall, 69 percent of eighth-graders cut it in reading, but only 31 percent succeeded on the math exam.
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown announced the initiative at Stoddert on Tuesday morning. His hope was that “community organizations can come together to make our schools and neighborhoods safer.”
Homicides in Prince George’s County have soared past the levels of 2010: By the end of August, there had been 74 slayings in Prince George’s, including a rash of homicides the first two weeks of the year. Homicides are on pace to hit 109 this year, the first time they would exceed 100 since 2008, when there were 117 murders.
Staff Writer Ben Giles contributed to this report.
