PHOENIX – The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and Chandler Police Department are joining forces to host a community forum on youth violence this week.
The free event, called Common Ground: A Teen Safety Forum, is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Chandler Public Safety Training Center (3550 S. Dobson Road).
“We’re going to discuss what trends we’re seeing and how we can work together as a community, because that’s what it’s going to take to protect our kids,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told reporters during a press conference last week.
Mitchell said that general teen criminal activity is actually lower than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, but violence has been an increasing problem.
“If you look solely at violence statistics — not only across Maricopa County, but Arizona and the nation — you’ve just seen a steady trend upwards. And it is of great concern to me,” she said.
What to expect at Wednesday’s forum on youth violence
Mitchell will moderate a discussion among a panel of experts during this week’s forum. Members of the public can submit questions online in advance.
“I have asked representatives from the Preston Lord Foundation to be there,” Mitchell said. “They’ve agreed to do that.”
Lord was jumped and viciously beaten outside a Halloween party in 2023 and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital two days later.
Seven defendants were charged with first-degree murder in the high-profile case, one of whom pleaded guilty to manslaughter earlier this year.
The 16-year-old boy’s death led to the passage of legislation known as “Preston’s Law,” which increases penalties for defendants convicted in group attacks.
“There’s a lot more that has to be done,” Mitchell said.
The post Public invited to East Valley community forum on youth violence appeared first on KTAR.
