EUCLID, Ohio — A Euclid group is planning a series of "open and honest" community discussions next month aimed at reducing neighborhood gun violence.
The Euclid Hope Task Force's "Neighbors in Action" conversations state the goal of having "courageous conversations for a safer Euclid."
Co-Chair Pam Turos told 3News some of the key questions are, "How has gun violence impacted you?" "What does a safer community look and feel like?" and "How do we address the root causes of community violence?"
She shared that Euclid has never had a city-wide violence reduction plan that's been completely informed by residents, and they're about to change that.
“We do consider violence a public health crisis,” she stated.
At the three upcoming meetings, they'll have a Case Western Reserve University research team in attendance analyzing and taking notes. And in 2025, they'll present a list of solution strategies to the task force based on their findings.
On top of that, Turos and her co-chairs Taneika Hill and Emily Holody hope to use the research to get funding for the strategy implementation.
She said she's anxious to hear what Euclid residents have to say.
"The thing that hasn't happened yet is the thing that I don't know yet, that some resident who's in those sessions is going to say, 'this is the way I struggle,' 'this is what happened with my son in our home when I tried to prevent him from being in a situation to regret his choices,' and there's an answer there that we don't know yet," Turos said. "That's what I'm really most excited about. When we talk about what we want from these sessions, we want to be surprised. We want to know what we don't know yet and use those things to strengthen our community and to help us all feel safe."
The three Neighbors in Action meetings are scheduled for November 13 at Euclid Public Library at 7:00 p.m., November 18 at Bluestone Elementary at 7:00 p.m., and November 23 at Cathedral Worship Center at 11 a.m.
You can go to the Euclid Hope Task Force for RSVP info and more details.
3News reached out to The Euclid Police Department for reaction, and spokesman Cpt. Mitch Houser made the following remarks, “The police can’t be the only option for solving social problems. The community needs to be a part of that process. So, groups like the Euclid Hope Task Force are important resources. Gun violence is at an all-time high in Euclid, and we’re working very hard to interdict illicit guns and arrest the people who are illegally using them.”
