Amid more teen murder arrests, Youth Violence Prevention Center aims to address problem

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Four teens in the Triangle were taken into custody in just the last week on murder charges.

An 18-year-old turned himself in for the Durham murder of a North Carolina Central University student in April, and two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old were arrested in Raleigh for the shooting death of a man last month.

"It's disturbing to see what we're seeing with our young people, I mean they're idle, they have a lot of time on their hands," Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson told ABC11.

The Youth Violence Prevention Center which is based out of Lumberton works to address that exact concern, creating programs in the summer and after school to give kids something to do.

"Whether it's through art or dance or music or, you know, photography, our interactive drama, all these things that give them another chance to look through a different lens," said Paul Smokowski, Executive Director of the NC Youth Violence Prevention Center.

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The center also uses violence interrupters who have experience and respect in these communities. They aim to catch kids who might be further down the path heading toward violence.

"They're in the community trying to de-escalate problems," he said. "So, for example, last school year we had 26 calls about guns being brought to school campuses (in Robeson County), and they would call our violence interrupters and tell them, 'hey, look in, you know, look in locker number 63,' and sometimes the community is more open to talking with them than to law enforcement or to the principal."

Smokowski said the interrupters were able to defuse all 26 incidents last year, saying it illustrates how violence interrupters are working within systems to try and decrease conflict.

The center works largely in rural areas, but the root of the problem can be universal: kids need things to do to occupy their time and they need positive role models to keep them on the right track.

"I think that we can really impact a lot if we are able to nurture youth in a positive way early on, that has a lifelong impact," he said.