Advocates call on St. Pete leaders to prioritize youth, safe streets in upcoming budget

Advocates push 'Save Our Streets' campaign

As city officials begin shaping next year?s budget, residents and community organizers are calling for greater investment in St. Petersburg?s youth ? especially in neighborhoods plagued by gun violence. Genevieve Curtis reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As city officials begin shaping next year’s budget, residents and community organizers are calling for greater investment in St. Petersburg’s youth — especially in neighborhoods plagued by gun violence.

On Thursday, members of the Dream Defenders rallied outside City Hall, urging St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch to include their "Save Our Streets" initiative in the upcoming city budget. The campaign focuses on targeted investment in Childs Park, a neighborhood deeply impacted by youth gun violence.

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"There’s a lack of funding in our communities, and it’s showing up by our children’s lives ending in gun violence," said Sierra Clark, a lifelong St. Pete resident and member of Dream Defenders.

Local perspective:

Standing on the steps of City Hall, members of the grassroots organization held signs and delivered emotional remarks, arguing that city spending should reflect community priorities — especially when it comes to keeping young people safe.

"Police come after the fact," Clark said. "We’re looking for a measure that comes before we have to bury our children."

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Fellow member Jay James echoed that sentiment, saying, "Show me your budget, I’ll show you what your actual values are. And I don’t see this in the values, because I don’t see it in the budget."

Big picture view:

The "Save Our Streets" campaign calls for targeted funding in Childs Park, including:

• Additional youth programming
• Creation of three "community navigator" positions to help families connect with underutilized services
• Expanded outreach for existing resources that are currently at capacity or poorly advertised

"There are active programs out here that are good," said James. "But either they’re at capacity or under-advertised and underutilized, because their parents don’t know about them."

The group estimates the cost of implementing the three community navigator roles at around $150,000.

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Dig deeper:

The city’s proposed budget allocates approximately $171 million to the St. Petersburg Police Department. Last year, Welch announced a $1 million youth crime prevention initiative called "Forward Together," which included partnerships with local non-profits.

Dream Defenders said they support existing efforts but believe more must be done — particularly on the front end of violence prevention.

"We understand that the mayor has some plans out there that are potentially beneficial," James said. "We’re not knocking those — we just believe there should be more."

What's next:

The Dream Defenders have also launched a petition online to build support for their initiative. They’re hosting a community meeting on Saturday, July 26 from 11-1 p.m. at the Child’s Park Rec Center.

The other side:

FOX 13 has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment on Thursday’s demonstration and will update this story when we hear back.