After I wondered where the good guys are who might have steered Reggie Gemeille to the right path, I read about James Johnson. Thank goodness there are men out there like him:
Retired police officer James Johnson spent 20 years dealing with gangs in New York City and is now sharing his wisdom with Raleigh children at the J.T. Locke Resource Center’s summer camp.
Johnson uses the same speeches he gave to members of New York’s Crips and Bloods gangs, urging youths ages 9 to 17 to cultivate their talents to better society and to value themselves over fitting in.
The talks have proven successful; Johnson says the youth program he participated in helped reduce gang violence 62 percent in New York City.
“Every child is reachable,” Johnson said. “Children’s strength is in their motivation for life.”
via This tough cop knows how to reach tough kids – Local/State – NewsObserver.com.