DC Police Chief Robert Contee hosted a summit with city teens to discuss the impact of growing crime on their communities.

The summit – “Elevating Youth Voices” – was held at Eastern High School in Ward 6 and organized with the Rethinking DC Youth and Policing program of George Washington University and the Metropolitan Police Department.

The goal of Saturday’s summit was to hear how teens in the district perceive law enforcement in their schools and communities.

“I want to make sure that in this place, not only are you heard, but that there are also actions that go with the things we hear,” Contee said. “Spend time at the microphone. When entering your group, don’t be shy.

After the remarks, Que Wallace addressed the group. A former DC police sergeant whose 17-year-old daughter was killed by a stray bullet in August 2017.

“The decisions you make today impact everyone’s lives,” Wallace told the teens at the summit.

Wallace’s daughter, Jamahri Sydnor, was just days away from Florida A&M University.

LIVE: Youth Summit of the Metropolitan Police Department – Closing session

Connect to https://t.co/bk26yNEXix for a subtitled stream.
https://t.co/bnE6jq8JZE

– Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) December 4, 2021

“There are other ways to deal with conflict,” Que Wallace continued. “You don’t have to take a gun and shoot anyone.”

OMCP 2017 story: teenager dies days after Brentwood shooting

So far in 2021, more than 205 people have been killed in Washington, the highest number since 2003. Eight of those victims were under the age of 18.

“When we have these conversations about things that affect you,” Police Chief Contee said earlier today. “I think you would agree with me that if we’re talking about you, you should be part of the conversation.” “

“In some spaces, young people have been silently sidelined and your voices are not heard. It stops today, you have direct access to the police chief of the metropolitan police department, ”he added.

Before the teens split into one-on-one focus groups with district law enforcement officials, Contee stressed the importance of believing that things can change.

“Don’t be limited by your immediate surroundings, by where you live. Don’t let your neighborhood define who you are, ”he said.

“Yes, I’m from Carver Terrace, but that doesn’t stop me from running a half-billion-dollar agency in the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. My neighborhood where I left did not dictate where I ended up.

Many students summarized their positions after returning from the focus groups later in the day. It was not all good.

Citing issues ranging from bullying and metal detectors, to lack of police training and racial profiling, many students considered the current police presence in their schools and neighborhoods “not good.”

Contee remarked at the start of the summit that he both expected and invited negative comments.

“When we talk about you, you should be part of the conversation,” Contee said. “If you want to see the different police services in your community, what should they look like? “

Acacia James from OMCP contributed to this report.

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