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Groups, community leaders working to address violence in Bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT — Several community leaders and representatives with the Bridgeport chapter of the NAACP discussed ways to make their community a safer place. ...

BRIDGEPORT -- Several community leaders and representatives with the Bridgeport chapter of the NAACP discussed ways to make their community a safer place. The organizations feel addressing the city's school system should be the first task at hand.

Bridgeport's superintendent Dr. Aresta Johnson sent out several grief councilors to the school Jayson Negron attended. Negron was shot and killed Tuesday by Patrolman James Boulay when the stolen car he was struck an officer.  Johnson also meets with Bridgeport police officers once a month in order to brainstorm methods to improve community relationships.

“They go into our schools and they conduct those types of workshops and open conversations. They try to develop a relationship with the students so students can see them in a positive light," says Dr. Johnson.

Sauda Baraka, another community leader is also assisting by creating a program called, "Boys of color". The program will utilize input from the city's youth and implement their ideas towards legislation.

“We don’t want to dictate to them what the issues are. They need to tell us their risk and protective factors are and then they need to tell us what they need in order to be successful," says Baraka.

The first meeting for the "Boys of Color" programwill be on June 14th.

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