07/30/2025
As a part of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE), I understand the deep concern for community safety. However, I feel penalizing parents for a child’s possession of a weapon is punitive and not progressive. Our office’s foundational mission—and proven strategy—centers on addressing youth violence through compassion, respect, and accountability, not punitive measures that undermine trust and perpetuate cycles of harm. Criminalizing parents fractures the relationship between families, community support systems, and law enforcement. ONSE works daily to build bridges with at-risk youth and caregivers; punishing parents would erode that progress by treating parents as adversaries, not partners. Many parents work multiple jobs, lack access to mental health resources, or face community trauma. Punishing them for circumstances beyond their immediate control disregards these challenges and risks criminalizing families already in crisis.
Research consistently shows that punitive approaches increase recidivism among youth. Our office has reduced violence by treating young people with dignity—meeting them where they are, not where we fear they might go. When a child causes harm, existing laws must apply. But penalizing parents preemptively for possession offenses substitutes accountability with scapegoating. Public safety requires preventing violence before it occurs—not punishing families after a weapon is found. ONSE stands ready to collaborate with the Police Department and the community on solutions that align with our shared safety goals. Let’s build safety with our community, not against it.
~Dir Coleman
