B’klyn DA engages residents at anti-gun violence family picnic
By Tangerine Clarke
Brooklyn District Attorney
Eric Gonzales, in partnership
with the NYPD Community
Affairs, on Friday, July 30,
hosted a community Anti-Violence
Family Picnic that welcomed
scores of residents to
the sprawling grounds of Highland
Park, in East New York.
In an exclusive interview
with Caribbean Life, DA Eric
Gonzalez, noted the urgency
in which he brought awareness
to the spade of senseless gun
violence that has been taking
over the borough. As such, he
met with the community in
a healing atmosphere, as he
implements measures to end
the scourge.
“We had a terrible 2020
pandemic, and a surge of gun
violence. As district attorney I
am committed to making the
community safe by ending gun
violence,” said DA Gonzalez,
noting that he welcomed the
community to Highland Park.
“We are with you, we are one
community, and we will bring
all of our resources together
to make this a strong, healthy
and vibrant community, as we
celebrate a return to normalcy,
and return to safety in Brooklyn,”
the DA said.
He warned the small number
of people whom he said were
committing the shootings, and
promised, “if you pull the trigger,
the police will arrest you,
I will prosecute you, and separate
Caribbean L 16 ife, AUGUST 6-12, 2021
you from the community,
to keep it safe.”
By the same token, his
office is working with community
partners to bring more
resources to neighborhoods so
less people feel like they needed
a gun to stay safe, adding, that
violence is starting to come
down for this year, but pledged,
never-the-less, to continue to
work to return the city to its
historic drop in crime, as in
2019.
“Let’s remember, 2019, was
the safest year in our history,
we need to get back there, so
I am going to work every day
until the community is safe,
as it was a few year ago,” said
DA Gonzalez, who, according
to a report, asked the courts
to throw out a large number of
marijuana cases.
He felt encouraged that the
community came out to the
event, and thanked the string
band, Deep Cova for providing
the entertainment.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, center, surrounded by staff, and agency partners
at a July 30 Anti-Gun Violence Family Day picnic in highland Park, East New York, Brooklyn.
Photo by Tangerine Clarke
The New Jersey group
members are bass player Marvin
Bradshaw, Taz Mania on
drums, and Anthony Brown,
on the keyboard.
Highlighted by the color
“Orange” significant to ‘gun
violence awareness, the hours
long fun day included giveaways,
BBQ, drinks, and friendly
games, which gave residents
a relaxing day away from the
violence that had been terrorizing
their neighborhood.
The Family Assessment program,
Emblem Health, NYPD
Recuitmentprogram.com, East
Flatbush Village, and other
agencies helped to make the
family day a success.
Staff of the DA’s office,
ensured residents had a grand
time. They included, Karen
Crawford Chambers, coordinator
in the Office of Public
engagement, Michelle Patten
Cay, senior assistant district
attorney, Cornel Christie, senior
photographer, Karla Watson,
bureau chief, Red Zone, Melinda
Alexis-Hayes, special counsel
for public engagement,
among others.
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