SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Thursday, people from Mountain View, Stockton, and Barrio Logan communities held a rally, calling for the city to invest in their neighborhoods plagued by violence, poverty, and drugs.
"A lot of my friends are on drugs. PCP is big in our area. These things must be addressed to move forward," Lanell Brown said.
Lanell Brown, who grew up in Mountain View, has lost several loved ones to gun violence.
"Earlier, I referred to losing my brother in 2018. It was a double murder... him and Tone. But before that, in '98, I lost my cousin, Latell. He got murdered," Brown said.
In 2022, there were at least three reported shootings in the Mountain View area that left four people wounded and one person dead.
The group is asking for the city to build youth and young adult drop-in centers in District 8 and District 4.
The drop-in centers would be similar to a community center and would offer mental health services, a youth mentorship program, and other activities.
"We have violence interrupters from both sides that are ready, willing, and able to step in front of the bullet to stop these young men from hurting and killing each other because they've been there," one woman said during the rally.
The group said they're not trying to duplicate services already available but provide more safe spaces to keep youth out of the streets, and instead, set them up for success.
"We're using project-based learning and an evidence-based approach to free the people, give power to the people and stop the violence," Laila Aziz said.
The two drop-in centers would cost an estimated $3 million. Five city council members have included funding for the projects in their proposed budgets.
