BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Several activists say it's time for the community to get together and pay more attention to the youth.
After last week's attack at Mckinley High School, community activists say it is up to them to reduce violence.
"It's not up to the mayor. It's not up to the police department. It's up to the community to stand up," Kareema Morris, founder of Bury The Violence. And getting these kids to a place where they have a voice and where they have an outlet is very vital at this point."
Some believe while children commit some of these acts of violence, it is up to adults to break the cycle.
"I don't even want to say the teenagers because they're not the ones running these gangs," Keith Jones, the executive board of Buffalo Parent Teacher Organization. You have to sit down with what they call quote on quote OG's and have a summit and appeal to them like y'all got kids in school. You'll don't want this around your kids. Your kids can get hurt. we want to keep our schools safe."
Buffalo mayor Byron Brown says he approved a request from the school district to add more school resource officers around arrival and dismissal time at Mckinley.
"I have brought this request to commissioner Lockwood and his management team, and his additional security of school's resource officers will be provided into Mckinley High School," Mayor Byron Brown says.
Community activists believe more resources are needed to keep children safe at school.
"They need to level up the care that they have available and make it available on a bigger level," Morris says.
The mayor says the additional resource officers will begin in February, and it'll go sometime in April.
