Lauderhill officials respond to rising youth violence with focus on mentorship and collaboration
City leaders and law enforcement in Lauderhill are raising alarms over a recent rise in youth violence, prompting renewed efforts to expand mentorship and educational programs aimed at preventing crime among young people.
Teens shot near playground
Last week, a 33-year-old man allegedly fired 15 rounds near a playground at the Cascavita II apartments on NW 43rd Terrace, striking two teenagers, ages 16 and 17. Both are expected to recover.
That shooting followed another incident in April, when a young person was shot while walking along NW 55th Avenue and 25th Court.
"We've had an uptick in youth crime. That's where we have to really focus on. Again, it's important to get into schools, mentor the kids, and then share our perspectives," said Lauderhill Police Chief Constance Stanley.
City hosts regional safety panel
In response, the City of Lauderhill hosted a public safety panel on Thursday with the Broward County Sheriff and several local police chiefs to discuss solutions.
The leaders emphasized youth mentorship, outreach, education, and exposure as tools to steer young people away from violence.
While some of these programs already exist, officials said that coordinated efforts across agencies are key.
"Statistics show that the crimes occur between young people 15–26 years old, so what we are doing here is taking away information to see what we can implement to help our young people moving forward," said Lauderhill Mayor Denise Grant.
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