1/ Yesterday afternoon, a Brooklyn mom was murdered in broad daylight on 4th Ave and St. Marks, practically on my block.

So, let's talk about violent crime in District 39: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-woman-shot-park-slope-brooklyn-20210421-f2umn7dtlvbmrfrv7ksuhvacqi-story.html

2/ There has been a coordinated effort to fearmonger over a recent increase in shootings to justify spending more money on the police, and consequently, less on social services and mental health programs.

However, people don't just wake up one day and choose to commit homicide.

3/ People grow up in hostile and toxic environments, experience abuse and poverty, and receive minimal help or education from professionals and the government.

This can lead to them having undiagnosed, unsupported mental and material issues that end up perpetuating violence.

4/ If we work toward catching these problems earlier, we'll see a substantial decline in all forms of person-to-person violence.

Conversely, having beat cops on every corner of the city is not only impractical, but it won't solve this problem, and it'll exacerbate others.

5/ We can only progress if we recognize that even murderers and abusers are victims, as they're usually suffering at the hands of complex emotional and intergenerational trauma which compels them to commit awful acts.

We should uplift compassion and understanding above all else.

6/ In that vein, I'd like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Nichelle Thomas. Her death is a tragedy for Park Slope.

Additionally, I hope that by providing assistance to those in pain, we can prevent this type of violence in the future.

7/ In fact, it's important for us to understand that both in-the-home domestic violence and on-the-streets gun violence (this tragedy is and stems from both) come from a similar place.

They're the result of improperly treated, or entirely untreated mental and emotional turmoil.

8/ (END)

Ultimately, by focusing on the health of our communities' relationships and the wellbeing of individual human beings, I truly believe that we can change our city for the better.

Our government should lead with love, because everyone is worth giving a chance.