CLEVELAND — If you've seen the news at any time over the last year, you've likely heard about the rising crime rates in Cleveland and the efforts to try to curb the violence.
What you might not have heard about is the sharp uptick in violent crimes committed by teens in the city.
Two weeks ago, a man was shot and killed at a party and a 15-year-old was injured. Last week, a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot near Cleveland's Glenville High School. Earlier this week, a 14-year-old was shot and killed by a 15-year-old boy.
So far in 2022, there have been 10 teen homicides in the city of Cleveland. At the same time last year, there were five.
Tough questions remain about how to stop this violent uptick in teen related violent crime, but the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio is taking steps to remove teens from precarious situations that could lead to violence and crime.
Joseph Greathouse is the Club Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio's Broadway Club. He sees stories like the 14-year-old who was fatally shot this week far too often and more than in the past. "It's gut wrenching, especially working with teens on a daily basis." he says.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio want to put the teens who come through their doors in a position where they are set up for success and aren't outside of supervision during the times where it's most likely for them to fall into dangerous situations.
"I would say 3 o'clock to 7, we know specifically where crime is high and teens are getting into stuff they don't need unsupervised," Greathouse adds.
Kids up to 18 years old can come to their neighborhood club for free. It's a place where kids can be kids with no guns, violence or even bad language.
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