Philly CeaseFire adds an RV with a bold message on its side to its fight against gun violence
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
"Stop. Shooting. People."
Philly CeaseFire's Winnebago on the streets of North Philadelphia.
Maria Pouchnikova
Maria Pouchnikova
They were driving slowly through the streets of North Philadelphia looking for trouble, just like they do every day. They knew from experience that even if they failed to find conflict, it would find them.
They weren't trying to hide. And that's a good thing because it's hard to miss a 33-foot-long Winnebago cruising city streets, especially a black one with the words, "Stop. Shooting. People." on its side.
Philadelphia CeaseFire considers this RV yet another way to reduce gun violence — and not by using it as a shield between shooters and their targets. The motor home — a used 1995 model purchased for $9,000 — is the program's new mobile office, a way to introduce the nonprofit to those who are not familiar with it and to remind those already in the know that the group's there and ready to help.
"This gives us another opportunity to reach the community and to let them know how they can reach us," said Philadelphia CeaseFire Director Marla Davis Bellamy. "Even more important is the 'Stop shooting people' message. Maybe it will remind people to stop and really think."
CeaseFire, which has been operating in Philadelphia since 2011, approaches gun violence like a public-health issue, something akin to smoking-cessation programs or AIDS-prevention campaigns.
Philadelphia CeaseFire is based at the Temple University Medical School's Center for Bioethics, Urban Health and Policy. It focuses on selected neighborhoods in the 22nd and 39th Police Districts in North Philadelphia, including the area around Temple's campus. It currently has seven full-time outreach workers and one part-timer who build relationships in the community.
Many of the staffers grew up in the neighborhoods where they're now working. Most of them have criminal records. Both factors, CeaseFire leaders say, make them better at their jobs.
The Winnebago, introduced to the public in mid-November, is being used to respond to shootings, giving wary witnesses a place to talk privately. It will also be a fixture at community events like block parties and Philadelphia CeaseFire's annual basketball tournament.
During a recent ride in the RV through North Philadelphia, outreach worker Shakia Fudge, 31, talked about how she and her colleagues can defuse a volatile situation.
"If it's two different blocks beefin' it's easier for them to get us in there to mediate. They know us from the neighborhood. They know we don't deal with the police," she says.
With the police, fellow outreach worker Robert Harris, 38, said, "It's just lock 'em up and then forget about it. The police don't provide this — he gestured to the many brochures in the motor home for GED programs, job placement agencies and substance abuse counseling options. "All they provide is handcuffs," he says.
Since January, outreach workers have conducted more than 125 mediations.
Fudge detailed how a recent intervention went down: A woman she knew from growing up in the neighborhood called with fears her teenage son would be harmed after striking a woman during an argument. They were doing drugs together at the time. Fudge talked to people in the woman's family who were seeking revenge. Both parties had been in the wrong, she told them. Why was this older woman doing drugs with a kid anyway? They'd both made mistakes, she said, and it would be better for everyone if the matter was forgotten.
"This is more of a passion than a job," she said. "I grew up ducking bullets. I know parents don't want their children to grow up ducking bullets, too."
