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'Godly Men' Will Help Keep the Peace Uptown on July 4th

Members of Men Who Care Global.
Members of Men Who Care Global.

http://66.225.205.104/JR20110630.mp3

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and city officials are mobilizing to prevent a repeat of Memorial Day violence Uptown over the coming holiday weekend. They'll have help from a newly-formed group of African American men. "Godly men" is how this group describes itself, so an opening prayer was fitting for their kick-off at City Hall. The new group's official name is "Men Who Care Global." Former city councilman and African American businessman Ron Leeper organized them four weeks ago, inspired by the violence Uptown over Memorial Day. A late night crowd of youth as young as 10 swelled to several thousand, resulting in fights and one gunshot death. Police made 76 arrests. Leeper says his group's first initiative is to recruit an army of at least 100 men to wear bright orange t-shirts and spread out in Uptown Charlotte on July 4th. "We believe that past statistics have shown when there's adult supervision present, that it tends to cause young people to act differently," says Leeper. He points to the CIAA basketball tournament, which brings large crowds to Uptown Charlotte but has not traditionally seen the kind of youth loitering and violence that characterized Memorial Day weekend. "Men Who Care Global" includes Mayor Anthony Foxx and the head of the local NAACP, along with dozens of prominent African Americans from business and government in Charlotte. The evening of July 4th, they'll be Uptown reaching out to young men inclined to make trouble, says Leeper. "Our first step is just to model how a large group of African Americans can be together and exhibit good behavior," says Leeper. With as many as 100,000 people expected uptown for the 4th, CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe says he welcomes the extra support. Mayor Foxx has appealed to parents to keep tabs on their children. "We don't want you putting your kid on a bus and sending that kid Uptown just to hang out because that kid, if they're out past curfew, will come back to you with a police officer," says Foxx. The city curfew is 11 p.m. for unaccompanied youth 15 years or younger on weekdays and midnight on weekends. The Charlotte City Council is debating including 16 and 17 year olds in the curfew. Chief Monroe says the majority of CMPD officers will be on duty this weekend, enforcing the city's loitering laws and youth curfew.