MIAMI – LAWFUEL – Press Release Service – Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist and Georgia Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker will host the 21st annual National Conference on Preventing Crime in the Black Community from May 31 to June 3 in Miami.
More than 2,000 participants from over 25 states and the District of Columbia, as well as representatives from several nations, will come together to address the concerns of crime in minority communities.
The conference, established by the Florida Attorney General’s Office in 1985, is a collaborative effort to encourage communication and action within local communities by showcasing innovative ideas and successful prevention strategies that focus on crime issues in African-American neighborhoods.
“By sharing ideas and successful practices across communities, we hope to enhance public safety in our neighborhoods,” said Crist. “Children deserve a chance to thrive, and this conference will provide positive alternatives to violence among our youth.”
The three-day conference features three general sessions and 28 workshops with featured presenters from throughout the country.
Representatives from law enforcement, victim services programs, juvenile justice and corrections agencies, local and state governments, schools, faith-based programs, community leaders and other interested citizens from the general public make up the attendees, along with over 500 teens.
Attorney General Crist will deliver the conference keynote address on Thursday, June 1, at 8:30 a.m., at the Hyatt Regency Miami Hotel, Regency Ballroom. In addition to Attorneys General Crist and Baker, the morning session will feature Rep. Marco Rubio, Speaker-designate of the Florida House of Representatives; retired Congresswoman Carrie Meek; Domingo S.
Herraiz, director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance for the U.S.
Department of Justice, and local elected officials and dignitaries.
Crime issues such as drugs, gangs and violent crime continue to disproportionately affect the African-American community. Feature speakers during the conference include Assistant U.S. Attorney General Regina Schofield; Coach Ken Carter, on whom the movie “Coach Carter” was based; Command Sergeant Major Michele Jones, the highest ranking enlisted woman in the U.S. Army; Dr. Joy DeGruy-Leary of Portland State University; NFL player Shannon Baker, and many other presenters from throughout the country and Caribbean. Each will provide perspectives on community issues and discuss proactive programs and strategies that have been effective.
In addition to the adult sessions and workshops, a full schedule of workshops has been specifically designed for teens and their chaperones.
The major activities include a Friday evening “Teen Anti-Crime Rally and Dance” and a Saturday morning “Teen Listening Summit,” which will explore issues associated with community-based violence and prevention initiatives.
For more information on the National Conference on Preventing Crime in the Black Community, please contact Ron Barkett at 850-728-0042.
Registration can be completed at the Hyatt Regency each morning of the conference.
