Councilwoman Trying to Improve Community Relations Citywide

A Pittsburgh councilwoman wants to strengthen relationships between youth and police forces and senior citizens. Theresa Smith is holding a meeting tonight for those groups of people to ease any possible tensions. She says she established a program like this in Sheridan several years ago, when she was working with Pittsburgh Public Schools. She says it was a positive experience, and wants to make it a citywide program.
“When you give a kid someone to trust and someone to talk to, it’s amazing… the trust they’ll start to build,” Smith says. She says having relationships like this between police and youth are invaluable in communities, especially during a crisis. She’s also been looking for participants anywhere she’s able to find them, not just in schools.
“I went on the corner to get the kids. I went into activity centers to get the kids,” she says. She also has networked on Facebook about the meeting and the program she would like to develop from that.
The initial meeting is being held at 6 o'clock tonight at the Wireless Neighborhoods building, on 218 North Highland Avenue, in East Liberty.